A thorough review of the publications on surgical techniques used for tonsillectomy is provided, emphasizing randomized studies and meta-analysis. In the assessment of the data it is important to clearly define and categorize the types of posttonsillectomy bleeding (PTB), as well as the various factors that have been associated with increased PTB. In recent audits of a large number of tonsillec...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of inferior turbinate coblation for the treatment of nasal obstruction. METHODS Twenty patients awaiting submucosal diathermy to the inferior turbinates were recruited into the study. All underwent inferior turbinate coblation. Pre-operative and post-operative nasal function was investigated using posterior rhinomanometry and subjective symptom scales. RE...

Debridement is essential in wound treatment to remove necrotic tissue and wound bacteria but may lead to bacteria spread by aerosolization. This study investigated the wound bacterial reduction and bacterial transmission induced by debridement using curette, plasma-mediated bipolar radiofrequency ablation (Coblation®) or hydrodebridement (Versajet®). Full thickness dermal wounds in porcine join...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate an institutional experience with perioral burns after adenotonsillectomy and to survey the national experience of other pediatric otolaryngologists regarding this complication. DESIGN A retrospective review of adenotonsillectomy cases from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2005, was performed to determine the incidence, etiology, severity, and treatment of perioral burns...

Surgery of the tonsils is still one of the most frequent procedures during childhood. Due to a series of fatal outcomes after hemorrhage in children in Austria in 2006, the standards and indications for tonsillectomy have slowly changed in Germany. However, no national guidelines exist and the frequency of tonsil surgery varies across the country. In some districts eight times more children wer...