Patient eligibility for day case paediatric adenotonsillectomy

There is a growing trend towards day case surgery and departments are constantly under pressure from Health Trusts to perform more day case procedures. Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy are being performed as day case procedures in many centres and literature has suggested that it is safe to do so, provided the population characteristics are favourable. A prospective study of 100 consecutive patients presenting to our department for tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy was undertaken to assess the eligibility of our patient group for day surgery. Medical and social history was obtained as per recommended guidelines. Only 27% of our patients were eligible for day surgery and only 17% of parents preferred the option of day case adenotonsillectomy. There is a marked difference between our group and those previously reported in the literature. This regional variation has implications in the safe expansion of day surgical procedures.