title: Systematic review of complications of tonsillotomy versus tonsillectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intracapsular tonsillotomy continues to gain acceptance as an alternative to traditional tonsillectomy. Despite large clinical studies, there is a lack of consensus as to which technique offers lower complication rates. This study seeks to analyze the available data and surmise the complication rates of partial tonsillectomy as compared with traditional tonsillectomy. Data Sources. MEDLINE was searched using multiple search terms.
  
  
  METHODS
  After the MEDLINE search, the following inclusion criteria were applied: English language, human subjects, and related to partial tonsillectomy. Multiple tonsillotomy techniques were included. The results of these studies were summated and the results analyzed. Subgroup analysis was then performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Tonsillotomy had a lower postoperative bleeding rate, lower postoperative dehydration rate requiring medical care, reduced days of analgesic use, and reduced days to return to normal diet compared with tonsillectomy. When separated into higher versus lower quality studies, the differences in bleeding and dehydration were negligible, while differences in return to diet and days of analgesic use persisted. Mean intraoperative blood loss was similar for both techniques. Insufficient data were available to assess tonsil regrowth rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tonsillotomy appears to be a safe technique that may offer some advantages over tonsillectomy in terms of postoperative morbidity, but differences in hemorrhage and dehydration were not evident in high-quality studies. Data regarding tonsil regrowth rates and efficacy in treating sleep-disordered breathing are not yet sufficient for formal analysis, which may preclude widespread acceptance of this technique.
authors.affiliation: Reynolds Army Community Hospital, Fort Sill, Oklahoma 73505, USA. jasag00@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Jason L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.forename: Rahul K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Brietzke
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics