title: Taste disorders after tonsillectomy: a long-term follow-up.
abstract: In a former study, taste disturbances after tonsillectomy seemed to be more frequent than expected. Eight percent of patients reported subjective taste disorders 6 months after tonsillectomy. Fifteen patients from the initial trial, who reported taste disorders after tonsillectomy, were contacted again for this long-term follow-up. A telephone interview using the same questionnaire addressing the current self-estimate of taste function was performed. At 32 ± 10 months following surgery, two (0.9%) patients still reported suffering from taste disturbance. This long-term follow-up study shows that dysgeusia following tonsillectomy occurs in approximately 1% of patients. These data should be considered when patients are informed about complications after tonsillectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany. hno@heiser-online.com
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heiser
authors.forename: Basile N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Landis
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giger
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao Van
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guinand
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hörmann
authors.forename: Boris A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Stuck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D004408:Dysgeusia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult