title: Analyzing factors associated with major complications after adenotonsillectomy in 4776 patients: comparing three tonsillectomy techniques.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the rates of major complications (postoperative hemorrhage requiring return to the operating room or cauterization in the emergency department and dehydration requiring intravenous fluids or readmission) in a large cohort of children undergoing adenotonsillectomy by three different techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series with chart review, case-controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regional children's hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised patients aged 1 to 18 years undergoing adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, or adenotonsillectomy by microdebrider, coblator, or Bovie over a 36-month period. Major complications identified were compared to two case-matched controls to try to identify patients at risk for major postoperative complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall complication rate was 80 of 4776 (1.7 +/- 0.4% [percent +/- 95% confidence interval]). Of the 3362 patients who received either an adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy alone, 80 had a complication (2.3 +/- 0.5%). Major complication rates differed among tonsil removal techniques: 34 of 1235 (2.8 +/- 0.9%) coblation; 40 of 1289 (3.1 +/- 0.9%) electrocautery; six of 824 (0.7 +/- 0.7%) microdebrider (P < 0.001). Postoperative hemorrhage occurred in older children (8.5 vs 5.5 years; P < 0.001), while age did not influence postsurgical dehydration (5.33 vs 5.49 years). The case-control portion of the study did not find any reliable way to identify patients at risk for complications during adenotonsillectomy. Identity of the surgeon was not a confounding independent variable, nor was participation by resident surgeons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this "real life" teaching hospital surgical setting in which three different techniques of tonsillectomy are routinely performed by a variety of resident and attending surgeons, microdebrider intracapsular tonsillectomy is associated with lower rates of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage and dehydration when compared to coblation and electrocautery complete tonsillectomy technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Lyndy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Craig S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Derkay
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003646:Debridement; D003681:Dehydration / Q000453:epidemiology; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*