title: Comparing postoperative quality of life in children after microdebrider intracapsular tonsillotomy and tonsillectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate postoperative quality of life in patients undergoing microdebrider intracapsular tonsillotomy and adenoidectomy (PITA) in comparison with traditional adenotonsillectomy (AT) and to assess PITA's efficacy in solving upper-airway obstructive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  29 children with adenotonsillar hyperplasia referred for AT were included. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (underwent PITA) included 14 children (age 5.1±1.8 years) affected by night-time airway obstruction without a relevant history of recurrent tonsillitis; Group 2 (underwent AT) included 15 children (age 5.2±1.7 years) with a history of upper-airway obstruction during sleep and recurrent acute tonsillitis. Outcomes measures included the number of administered pain medications, time before returning to a full diet, Obstructive Sleep Apnea survey (OSA-18), parent's postoperative pain measure questionnaire (PPPM) and Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative pain was significantly lower in the PITA group, as demonstrated by PPPM and WBFPRS scores and by a lower number of pain medications used. PITA group also resumed a regular diet earlier (P<0.001). OSA-18 scores proved that both PITA and AT were equally effective in curing upper-airway obstructive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PITA reduces post-tonsil ablation morbidity and can be a valid alternative to AT for treating upper-airway obstruction due to adenotonsillar hyperplasia.
authors: Otolaryngology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. giovanna.cantarella@policlinico.mi.it
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: Cantarella
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Viglione
authors: Stella
authors: S
authors: Forti
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Minetti
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Pignataro
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D000234:Adenoids / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008297:Male; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000379:methods*; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome