Ambulatory adult tonsillectomy.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate whether it is reasonable to perform tonsillectomies on adults on an ambulatory basis. The method was a retrospective hospital chart review of all 383 patients operated on by one surgeon over a sequential 10-year period. The findings were a low admission rate of 7.05%, no serious complications, and excellent acceptance by patients, surgeon, and other involved health care providers. The conclusion is that ambulatory adult tonsillectomy is safe, cost-effective, and convenient.