Post Operative Tonsillectomy Questionnaire
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing Post-operative Bleeding, Pain and Return to Work following Tonsillectomy: A multicentre prospective cohort study
IRAS ID
271322
Contact name
Sandra Latham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
The study will ask patients undergoing a tonsillectomy operation to complete a questionnaire for 3 weeks following their operation. The post operative patient journey is not currently well understood in detail. This will aim to better understand the symptoms and complications which affect patients following a tonsillectomy operation. Patients age 4 years and over undergoing a tonsillectomy will be eligible. A responsible adult will need to complete the questionnaire for a child. Sites who perform tonsillectomy operations will be eligible to take part. The study will last for 6 months. Following completion of the post tonsillectomy diary patients are asked to return their diary in a stamped addressed envelope.
Summary of Results
We studied the recovery period following a tonsillectomy operation to better understand the rate and severity of bleeding and pain. In total 372 patients were recruited to the study, of these 297 were children and 75 adults. Bleeding following a tonsillectomy was present in 40% of both children and adults on the day of surgery and 20% of the day after surgery. Most frequently this was blood in the saliva.
In children pain appeared to get better after the day of the operation and returned to normal after 2 weeks. In adults pain worsened over the first 4 days after the operation and took a total of 3 weeks to return to normal.
Using a certain technique to remove the tonsils called intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy appears to reduce the risk of bleeding and pain for children.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 1
REC reference
20/WS/0013
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jan 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion