Lip injury prevention during tonsillectomy.
Patients commonly complain of discomfort at the angle of the mouth following tonsillectomy. This can be attributed to trauma sustained during the procedure. A prospective, patient-blinded, controlled trial of 34 tonsillectomies was performed using a protective, plastic oral guard. A blinded observer recorded postoperative pain and clinically evident trauma to the angle of the mouth. The patient group in whom the guard was used had a significantly lower incidence of labial trauma (p<0.002) and complained of pain less frequently (p<0.002) when compared with a control group in whom no guard was used. The use of a protective lip guard during tonsillectomy is recommended.
Evans
A S
AS
Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, St. John's Hospital at Howden, Livingston, West Lothian, UK. drase25@hotmail.com
El-Hawrani
A
A
Lodhi
A
A
Thompson
A
A
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000293:injuries*; D009064:Mouth Protectors; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation