Contact diode laser tonsillectomy in children.
OBJECTIVE
To compare contact diode laser (CDL) tonsillectomy to monopolar cautery (MPC) with regard to pain and other morbidity during recovery.


METHODS
Single-blind, randomized trial in a tertiary-care pediatric hospital. Tonsillectomy was performed by CDL in 30 children and by MPC in 28. Parents completed a daily questionnaire for 10 days after surgery.


RESULTS
There was significantly less pain in the CDL group than in the MPC group. The CDL group also required much less medication, and was much less likely to experience multiple awakenings (P < 0.001 for all comparisons).


CONCLUSIONS
Recovery after CDL tonsillectomy was associated with much less pain and discomfort than after MPC surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative pain is a major concern for surgeons, patients, and their parents. The long recovery period also has costs in school days missed for the child and work missed for the parents. CDL tonsillectomy may greatly mitigate these burdens.
D'Eredità
Riccardo
R
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Vicenza Civil Hospital, Vicenza, Italy. rderedita@hotmail.com
Marsh
Roger R
RR
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000601:surgery; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000601:surgery