BACKGROUND: Carbon-dioxide-laser-tonsillotomy is reconsidered as a procedure to relieve patients in early childhood from obstructive symptoms caused by tonsillar hyperplasia such as snoring or sleep apnea without influencing the immunological function. METHODS AND PATIENTS: The protruding part of the tonsils was removed by a CO (2)-laser delivering 10 - 15 W. During 1993 to 2003, 83 children received laser-tonsillotomy, combined with adenoidectomy 51 children were available for follow-up with a standard questionnaire. The parents were surveyed in average 39 months postoperatively. 5 patients required a subsequent tonsillectomy due to a recurrence of tonsillar hyperplasia. Histological investigations were done. 15 children were reevaluated by clinical examination. RESULTS: Most of the patients were relieved from obstructive symptoms. There was no occurrence of postoperative hemorrhage or peritonsillar abscesses. The histological investigations on the specimens from later performed tonsillectomy (n = 5) showed no evidence of scarring opened crypts. The clinical examination did not reveal any signs of chronic infections. CONCLUSION: The tonsillotomy by carbon-dioxide-laser appears as a suitable and safe technique for the treatment of tonsillar hyperplasia without severe throat infection in early childhood.
BACKGROUND:Carbon-dioxide-laser-tonsillotomy is reconsidered as a procedure to relieve patients in early childhood from obstructive symptoms caused by tonsillar hyperplasia such as snoring or sleep apnea without influencing the immunological function. METHODS AND PATIENTS: The protruding part of the tonsils was removed by a CO (2)-laser delivering 10 - 15 W. During 1993 to 2003, 83 children received laser-tonsillotomy, combined with adenoidectomy 51 children were available for follow-up with a standard questionnaire. The parents were surveyed in average 39 months postoperatively. 5 patients required a subsequent tonsillectomy due to a recurrence of tonsillar hyperplasia. Histological investigations were done. 15 children were reevaluated by clinical examination. RESULTS: Most of the patients were relieved from obstructive symptoms. There was no occurrence of postoperative hemorrhage or peritonsillar abscesses. The histological investigations on the specimens from later performed tonsillectomy (n = 5) showed no evidence of scarring opened crypts. The clinical examination did not reveal any signs of chronic infections. CONCLUSION: The tonsillotomy by carbon-dioxide-laser appears as a suitable and safe technique for the treatment of tonsillar hyperplasia without severe throat infection in early childhood.
Authors: Oliver Reichel; Doris Mayr; Jan Winterhoff; Richard de la Chaux; Hjalmar Hagedorn; Alexander Berghaus Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2006-09-21 Impact factor: 2.503
Authors: Jan Plzak; Pavla Macokova; Michal Zabrodsky; Jan Kastner; Petr Lastuvka; Jaromir Astl Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2014-03-26 Impact factor: 3.411