Background: The introduction of coblation tonsillectomy (CTE) may contribute to reduce the postoperative morbidity in terms of pain, delayed oral intake and bleeding.
Methods: A prospective pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical course by inpatient observation (5 days) and telephone contact 6 months after CTE. The data from 61 patients (aged 44 months-69 years) were analyzed. The patients were grouped into those with surgical care of bleeding (A), non-surgical care of bleeding (B), and no bleeding event (C).
Results: The study was terminated early due to major bleeding complications in seven patients (A). Fifteen patients experienced minor (B) and 41 no (C) bleeding episodes. In the interview, 29 patients identified pain, lasting 16.7 (A), 11.6 (B) and 11 (C) days, as the most significant complication of surgery.
Conclusions: The introduction of CTE was followed by a dramatic increase in major bleeding complications, including late bleeding episodes. Pain following tonsillectomy remains a problem to be solved by further techniques. We will continue to perform the cold dissection technique.