title: Gold laser versus curettage adenoidectomy: incidence of complications and otorrhea after concurrent pressure-equalization tube placement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the incidence of postoperative complications and otorrhea in patients undergoing Gold laser or curettage adenoidectomy with pressure-equalization (PE) tube placement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of 100 patients, ages 8 to 48 months, undergoing Gold laser (n = 50) or curettage adenoidectomy (n = 50) and PE tube placement in a pediatric outpatient setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric patients with chronic otitis media with effusion and adenoid hypertrophy after failure of medical management were included in the study. Adenoid size and middle ear status were recorded at surgery. The total adenoidectomy procedure time was recorded. All patients were evaluated at 1 week, 1 month, and 4 months postoperatively. The incidence of nasal complications and otorrhea was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistical difference in age, race, sex, adenoid size, or middle ear status between groups. The laser group had a shorter procedure time (P = .001) and a lower incidence of otorrhea (P = .024). There was no difference in nasal complications between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Gold laser adenoidectomy technique can be safely performed with PE tube placement and may offer advantages over the traditional curettage adenoidectomy technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA. okworley@cox.net
authors.forename: N Knight
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Worley
authors.forename: Arman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdalkhani
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hagmann
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Belafsky
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Amedee
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003475:Curettage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000379:methods*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome