Analyzing factors associated with major complications after adenotonsillectomy in 4776 patients: comparing three tonsillectomy techniques.

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. STUDY DESIGN Case series with chart review, case-controlled study. SETTING Regional children's hospital. SUBJECTS AND 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. CONCLUSION 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.