Coblation intra-capsular tonsillectomy: A prospective tertiary center trial

There is a growing interest in intra-capsular coblation tonsillectomy (ICT) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Literature remains controversial regarding which intra-capsular tonsillectomy (IT) technique is most effective and with least morbidity. Therefore, the aims of this study are to objectively measure the post-operative morbidity and the effectiveness of the ICT technique. 107 children undergoing ICT (with or without adenoidectomy) for upper airway obstruction due to tonsillar hypertrophy at a tertiary center university hospital were prospectively enrolled from March 2016 to March 2018. Efficacy of the surgery was assessed by a pre-and post-operative Obstructive Sleep Apnea score (OSA-18). Post-operative morbidity was measured based on the Parent's Post-operative Pain Measure questionnaire (PPPM), type and duration of administered pain medication, time before resuming a full diet and a normal activity, readmission for dehydration and post-operative bleeding incidence. After a mean follow-up of 21.6 months, OSA-18 mean total score was 78.77 (SD = 15.74) before ICT and 23.7 (SD = 9.25) after surgery, with a significant difference between pre-operative and post-operative scores (p