title: Effect of low level laser application at the end of surgery to reduce pain after tonsillectomy in adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tonsillectomy is among commonest otorhinolaryngologic surgeries. Many methods have been used to control post surgical pain, but despite it, pain is still one of the problems related to this operation. Recently, due to the non invasiveness of low level lasers, this modality has attracted attention. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of low level laser irradiation at the end of surgery on reduction of pain after tonsillectomy in adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a clinical trial, 60 adult patients, candidates for tonsillectomy were randomly assigned to two groups, A and B, and both groups were anesthetized similarly by the same technique. At the end of surgery, in the case group, the tonsils' bed were irradiated by infrared laser with 980nm wavelength, 100Hz, 4J/cm(2) from the infra mandibular angle. In the control group, the tonsils' bed had laser therapy with a turned off probe. Following laser treatment, the patients were reversed and extubated and consciousness achieved, pain and odynophagia were assessed at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24h post surgery based on visual analog scale for pain (VAS) and analgesic consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the laser group frequency of patients with pain sensation in each evaluated hour was lower than in the control group. The amount of pain decrease and analgesic consumption reduction was significantly higher in patients who received laser (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results of this study, use of low level lasers is effective in reducing tonsillectomy post surgical pain in adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Dawood
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aghamohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lotfi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Hamzeh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosseinzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Movasaghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Negar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Motighini
authors.affiliation: Laser Application in Medical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayoub Bouraima
keywords: Pain; low level laser therapy; otorhinolaryngologic