部分或整体扁桃体等离子射频切除术治疗儿童阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征疗效对比

目的 探讨利用等离子射频技术切除部分或全部扁桃体,以治疗儿童阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征(OSAHS)的可行性及疗效观察。方法 将参与对比的儿童OSAHS患者239例分为两组。A组183例,行等离子射频扁桃体切除术和腺样体切除术;B组56例,行等离子射频扁桃体部分切除术和腺样体切除术。分别对比两组手术时间、术后3d内每天的疼痛度、恢复正常进食的时间。结果 B组在手术时间、术后疼痛度、恢复正常进食时间均低于A组(U=2.685, 582.00, 84.00, 2519.00, 306.00, P<0.05)。随访6～12个月,两组患者睡眠打鼾、张口呼吸均消失。结论 利用等离子射频方法,部分扁桃体切除术比全部扁桃体切除治疗儿童OSAHS疗效较好。     

Submucosal bipolar radiofrequency thermal ablation of inferior turbinates: a long-term follow-up with subjective and objective assessment

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and morbidity of bipolar radiofrequency thermal ablation of the inferior turbinates in patients with nasal obstruction caused by turbinate hypertrophy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized study and outpatient treatment. METHODS: Twenty patients (age range, 23-77 y; median age, 52 y) enrolled in the study. There was one dropout. All the patients had nasal blockage despite medical treatment. Bipolar radiofrequency thermal ablation was delivered to inferior turbinates at 100 kHz with a voltage root mean square value of 168 to 182. The preoperative and postoperative nasal functions were investigated by immediate and long-term visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of symptom parameters, olfactory thresholds, saccharine transit time, rhinomanometry, and acoustic rhinometry. The follow-up was conducted at 1 week and 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: The VAS scores of subjective complaints (nasal discharge, itching, sneezing, crusting) decreased, and the VAS scores of evaluation of the effectiveness (frequency of nasal obstruction, degree of nasal obstruction, and patient satisfaction) increased statistically significantly in the 12-month follow-up without relapses. There were no adverse effects on nasal epithelial clearance time and olfactory functions. In rhinomanometry the changes in total nasal resistance and response to the vasoconstrictor agent were not statistically significant. In acoustic rhinometry the change in the sum of both nasal cavity volumes from nostril to 5 cm was statistically significant 6 and 12 months after the treatments. The difference between the preoperative and postoperative vasoconstrictive effect was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The bipolar radiofrequency thermal ablation of inferior turbinates is a promising alternative, which should be considered when planning inferior turbinate interventions.     

A pilot randomized controlled trial of coblation tonsillectomy versus dissection tonsillectomy with bipolar diathermy haemostasis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare postoperative recovery in children between 4 and 12 years undergoing tonsillectomy, using either coblation tonsillectomy or dissection tonsillectomy with bipolar diathermy haemostasis. DESIGN: A prospective, single blind, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: ENT clinic, University Teaching Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Forty paediatric patients, aged between 4 and 12 years and between 16 and 60 kg in weight with standard indication for tonsillectomy. METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated to either coblation tonsillectomy or dissection tonsillectomy groups. Patients, parents, and nurses were blinded for operation method. Parents were asked to fill out a postoperative diary from 1 to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes were scored for postoperative pain, nutrition, activity, and use of analgetics for each of the 10 postoperative days. Secondary outcomes were estimated from the nurses' postoperative data and 10-day follow-up statistics regarding crossing of the two-score limit. RESULTS: The groups were statistically comparable by age, weight and operation type. There was no significant difference in operation time in two groups. Intra-operative bleeding was significantly less in the coblation group. Statistically significant differences between dissection tonsillectomy and coblation tonsillectomy were found in the day when a score of two of five was passed in pain scores (9.6 versus 6.2), nutrition scores (8.9 versus 6.6), activity score (8.4 versus 6.6) and medicine intake (9.4 versus 6.4), We found parallelism, between regression lines, that indicates better postoperative life quality for the coblation tonsillectomy group and approximately 2 days' shorter recovery time. CONCLUSION: In our pilot study, patients undergoing coblation tonsillectomy reported less pain, quicker return to normal diet, quicker return to normal activity, and less use of analgetics over a 10-day period than patients undergoing dissection tonsillectomy. Our results indicate that the recovery period for coblation tonsillectomy was approximately 2 days shorter and demonstrated less morbidity.     

Microdissection needle tonsillectomy and postoperative pain: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether microdissection needle cautery for tonsillectomy results in decreased postoperative pain when compared with standard electrocautery. DESIGN AND SETTING: A randomized prospective study of 2 groups of young children in an academic pediatric otolaryngology practice. SUBJECTS: Forty-two healthy children between the ages of 4 and 12 years. INTERVENTION: The 42 children were randomly assigned to 2 groups: in group A, the tonsillectomy was performed with standard monopolar electrocautery tip at 20 W; in group B, the microdissection needle was used at 8 W. The same surgeon performed each tonsillectomy. Other aspects of the procedure were constant, including patient positioning, intraoperative injection of 0.25% bupivacaine hydrochoride (Marcaine), a weight-appropriate dose of steroids, and the use of postoperative antibiotics. OUTCOME MEASURES: The subjective measure of postoperative pain was a questionnaire based on a standard visual analog scale ranging from 0 to 10. More objective measures included the doses of pain medications consumed and the tolerance of oral intake. RESULTS: There was no statistical significant difference in the amount of intraoperative hemorrhage between groups (P>. 01). Operative time was on average 3.2 minutes longer in group B (11 minutes vs 7.8 minutes). The postoperative pain as measured by the visual analog scale was significantly different on days 3, 4, and 5 in group B (P<.05). This difference in pain correlated to differences in the number of doses of pain medications used on the same days. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups concerning the amount of fluids tolerated (P>.01). CONCLUSIONS: Without any increase in complications, subjective and objective measurement showed that the use of the microdissection needle resulted in significantly less postoperative pain by day 3.     

Ligation versus bipolar diathermy for hemostasis in tonsillectomy: a comparative study

Tonsillectomy despite being less performed nowadays still is a very common surgery performed by ENT surgeons. The use of various modalities like bipolar diathermy, laser, cryosurgery, radiofrequency and ionic coblation for hemostasis in tonsillectomy remains controversial so far. A thorough scan of literature comparing the ligation with diathermy has been presented. In this prospective study, we analysed 50 patients undergoing tonsillectomy by dissection method. Right sided tonsillectomies act as study group (bipolar diathermy used) and left sided tonsillectomies as the control group (ligation for hemostasis used). The aim of our study is to compare the amount of blood loss, number of ligatures applied, average time taken and incidence of postoperative haemorrhage following the use of ligation and bipolar diathermy. The study found that diathermy hemostatic technique is associated with a quicker procedure, less intraoperative blood loss, comparable postoperative pain.     

Multiparametric comparison of cold knife tonsillectomy, radiofrequency excision and thermal welding tonsillectomy in children

OBJECTIVE: This is a prospective study evaluating certain intraoperative and postoperative parameters, comparing the relatively new technique of thermal welding tonsillectomy with cold knife tonsillectomy, and radiofrequency excision in pediatric population. METHODS: Ninety children aged from 5 through 13 years were enrolled a randomized prospective trial comparing cold knife tonsillectomy, radiofrequency excision, and thermal welding tonsillectomy. Indications included recurrent acute tonsillitis and/or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. All techniques were compared by means of length of surgery time, blood loss, postoperative bleeding and postoperative pain. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients underwent tonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea, whereas 22 children underwent tonsillectomy due to recurrent acute tonsillitis. Median values of all variables tested, length of surgery time, blood loss, postoperative bleeding and postoperative pain, were found to differ significantly among the three surgical techniques (P<0.001). Particularly, a statistically significant higher median duration (P<0.001) and intraoperative blood loss (P<0.001), as well as, a statistically significant lower median pain score in each day tested (P<0.001) of the cold knife group, compared to each one of the other two groups, were found. Tissue welding and radiofrequency groups did not differ significantly in any aspect tested. CONCLUSIONS: Both thermal welding and radiofrequency excision techniques have shown comparable results regarding intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hemorrhage, and pain. Compared with cold knife tonsillectomy, welding and radiofrequency excision techniques were associated with less intraoperative blood loss and duration, though cold knife tonsillectomy seems to prevail over the two techniques in terms of the postoperative pain.     

A prospective randomised single blinded study comparing harmonic scalpel tonsillectomy with bipolar tonsillectomy

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences in pain, analgesic use and bleeding in children after tonsillectomy using either a harmonic scalpel or a bipolar diathermy surgical technique. METHODS: Children 6-15 years presenting for tonsillectomy were randomised to either a harmonic scalpel or bipolar diathermy surgical technique. Post-operative pain scores (VAS, 0-10) were recorded within 30 min of surgery and again at the 4h hospital discharge. A subsequent telephone interview daily for 7 days and then every second day until day 13 was used to monitor pain scores, analgesic use and tonsil bed bleeding. RESULTS: There were 204 children studied. The response rate over the first 7 days was 93% for the children in the harmonic scalpel group and 87% for the bipolar group. Children experienced moderate post-operative pain for the first 6 days, after which pain declined from 4-7 to reach a score of 1-2 by day 11. Children undergoing harmonic scalpel tonsillectomy (n=103) reported higher mean pain scores than those who underwent bipolar diathermy (n=101) for current pain (4.7 versus 4.2, p=0.002), worst pain of the day (6.9 versus 6.2, p<0.001) and pain on swallowing (5.9 versus 5.2, p<0.001) over the first 6 post-operative days. Analgesic use (acetaminophen, ibuprofen) was similar in both groups. Hospital readmission for bleeding in children who underwent harmonic scalpel was similar to those who underwent bipolar diathermy tonsillectomy (9% versus 11%) as was bleeding requiring surgical re-exploration (4% versus 2%). CONCLUSIONS: Tonsillectomy was associated with considerable pain for the first 6 post-operative days. Children undergoing harmonic scalpel tonsillectomy had a slight increase in pain compared to the bipolar diathermy group during this time. Both methods of tonsillectomy are effective and safe.     

Pain relief after tonsillectomy in adults: intramuscular diclofenac and papaveretum compared

A wide variety of surgical and pharmacological methods have been described in an attempt to reduce pain after tonsillectomy, with conflicting results. Opiates are still widely used, despite unwanted side-effects. Recently the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to be effective against a variety of post-operative pains. Diclofenac is effective in both children and adults in the relief of pain after tonsillectomy when administered rectally, but absorption is variable, and suppositories are not widely accepted in the UK. The present double-blind study compared a single intramuscular dose of diclofenac with papaveretum in adults undergoing tonsillectomy. Post-operatively, the patients who received diclofenac had less pain and started drinking significantly sooner than the control group. There were no undesirable side-effects. Intramuscular diclofenac is superior to papaveretum in the relief of pain in adults undergoing tonsillectomy.     

Bipolar radiofrequency plasma-mediated ablation of porcine nasal septal cartilage: a pilot investigation

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this pilot study were to (1) determine whether bipolar radiofrequency plasma-mediated ablation (PMA) can efficiently remove nasal septal cartilage and (2) calculate the ablation rate as a function of device power, probe force, and translation velocity using ex vivo porcine tissue. METHODS: Specimens were secured to a linear translation stage and were subjected to varying translation velocities (4, 7, and 12 cm/s), probe forces (140, 200, and 225 g), and bipolar radiofrequency generator (Coblator ENTec power settings, 38-58, 77-115, and 129-193 Watts root mean squared. Specimen mass loss and depth of ablation were measured using an analytic balance and dissection microscope, respectively. RESULTS: Visual and microscopic inspection revealed little char. Mass loss increased with decreasing translation velocity and increasing generator setting. Increasing probe force also influenced mass loss and increased crater depth. Depth of ablation did not correlate with translation velocity or generator setting. CONCLUSION: PMA effectively ablates nasal septal cartilage and may be able to reduce or contour cartilaginous deformities and framework structures in the head and neck.     

Recovery after tonsillectomy in adults: a three-week follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate recovery after tonsillectomy and safety and efficacy of ketoprofen in pain treatment after discharge. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, longitudinal study of 102 patients undergoing tonsillectomy. METHODS: All patients underwent tonsillectomy (or adenotonsillectomy) under general anesthesia. In the hospital, 77 patients received a bolus of 0.5 mg/kg ketoprofen intravenously, followed by a 3-mg/kg continuous infusion over 24 hours, and oxycodone for rescue analgesia. Twenty-five patients received normal saline and oxycodone. At discharge, all patients were prescribed ketoprofen capsules at a dose of 3 to 5 mg/kg per day for postoperative pain control at home, with paracetamol-codeine tablets for rescue analgesia. At home, the patients recorded pain and analgesic consumption each day for the first week after surgery. At 3 weeks, patients recorded the total analgesic requirement, duration of pain, all adverse events during recovery, and return to normal daily activities. RESULTS: No pre-emptive effect of ketoprofen was noticed because there was no significant difference in recovery after discharge between patients who had received ketoprofen or placebo during the first 24 hours after surgery. In the whole study group, the median of pain cessation was 11 days (range, 3-24 days) and the median of analgesic treatment was 12 days (range, 5-25 days). More than 50% of the patients needed 1 to 3 rescue analgesic doses daily during the first week after tonsillectomy. A return back to normal daily activities took place after 12 days (range, 2-24 days). Nine patients needed electrocautery to stop postoperative bleeding. No other serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The main problem after tonsillectomy is significant pain that can last 11 to 12 days after surgery. Ketoprofen combined with paracetamol-codeine provided sufficient analgesia for most patients at home, but because ketoprofen may cause an increase in the secondary hemorrhage rate, it should be prescribed with caution.     

温控双极射频等离子消融技术在耳鼻咽喉科的应用

目的探讨温控双极射频等离子消融治疗慢性肥厚性鼻炎、慢性扁桃体炎、阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征(obstructivesleepapneahypopneasyndrome,OSAHS)的临床疗效。方法106例鼻咽喉疾病患者中,对65例慢性肥厚性鼻炎、16例慢性扁桃体炎、25例OSAHS进行双极射频消融术,术后随访3～12个月。结果65例慢性肥厚性鼻炎治愈42例,有效18例,无效5例;16例慢性扁桃体炎治愈12例,有效4例;25例阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征治愈13例,有效9例,无效3例;总有效率92.5%(98/106)。结论温控双极射频等离子消融术的特点是:消融组织范围准确;效果确切;患者安全无痛苦,副作用少;操作简单,易于掌握,是一种有前途的耳鼻咽喉科微创手术技术。     

Sleep-disordered breathing: radiofrequency thermal ablation is a promising new treatment possibility

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and morbidity of radiofrequency thermal ablation of the soft palate in subjects with sleep-disordered breathing. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized study. Outpatient treatment and an extended follow-up time of 12 months. METHODS: Twenty-one healthy men who were 18 to 60 years of age (median age, 44 y) with sleep-disordered breathing were enrolled to the study. All the patients had habitual snoring for at least 1 year that was associated with excessive daytime sleepiness interfering with social or professional activities. Radiofrequency energy was delivered to the soft palate in two treatment sessions separated by 1 week at 460 +/- 1 kHz with an energy delivery of 600 and 300 J. Snoring Score, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and cephalometric analysis were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Certain inflammatory laboratory parameters and visual analogue scale scores of symptoms were measured related to the procedure. RESULTS: The changes in Snoring Score and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores were statistically significant. The change in the length of the soft palate was statistically significant, whereas the change in palatal width was not. There were no notable changes in the laboratory parameters. The symptom visual analogue scores were low and transient, resolving within days. CONCLUSIONS: The radiofrequency thermal ablation of the soft palate in patients with sleep-disordered breathing seems to be effective. It is safe and associated with only a low morbidity. The promising results must be confirmed in a placebo-controlled study with a larger sample size and a long-term follow-up.     

Adenoidectomy with the coblator: a logical extension of radiofrequency tonsillectomy

This paper describes a method of radiofrequency ablation of adenoid tissue using a coblator, comparing it with conventional and other newer methods of adenoidectomy. Its chief advantages are that it produces a bloodless field, precision of tissue removal and leads to less damage to surrounding tissues.     

低温等离子刀扁桃体切除术的临床研究

低温等离子刀是一种用于软组织手术的新技术，我科将它用于扁桃体的切除，具有手术时问短，术中出血少，术后疼痛轻等优点。总结我科从2003年6月至2005年2月诊断为慢性扁桃体炎且有扁桃体切除手术指征的病例100例(病灶扁桃体除外)，分别采用低温等离子刀扁桃体切除术与扁桃体剥离术，分析、对比两种手术方式的优缺点。     

低温等离子刀对比双极电凝镊在扁桃体切除术中治疗效果观察

目的分析变应性鼻炎(AR)患者接受鼻腔冲洗治疗的临床疗效。方法将2019年6月~2020年8月作为研究时间段,选取期间我院接诊的78例AR患者,另将随机数字表法作为分组依据,将全部病例分为对照组(行常规治疗,纳入39例)、研究组(加用鼻腔冲洗治疗,纳入39例),对组间气道反应性、症状消失时间展开分析。结果(1)组间气道反应性指标在治疗前无明显差异,P>0.05;研究组共振频率(Fres)、中心气道阻力(R20)、气道总阻力(R5)在治疗后低于对照组,P<0.05;(2)研究组鼻塞、流涕、喷嚏、鼻痒消失时间均少于对照组,P<0.05。结论鼻腔冲洗对改善AR患者气道反应、临床症状均有明显效果,值得推广。     

A prospective study comparing PlasmaKnife with bipolar dissection tonsillectomy: a preliminary communication of an emerging technology

Objective: To clinically evaluate and compare the PlasmaKnife to bipolar electrocautery in paediatric tonsillectomy. Design: Prospective comparitive non‐randomised study. Setting: Central London teaching hospital with tertiary referrals. Participants: Forty‐three patients aged 3–12 years with recurrent tonsillitis or obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy awaiting a tonsillectomy were recruited into the study. Main outcome measures: Primary outcome was throat, ear and swallowing pain scores over 2 weeks. Secondary measures included: return to normal diet, return to normal activity, analgesic requirements, operation time and intraoperative blood loss. Results: Surgical dissection was similar between the two groups with minimal blood loss and comparable overall operative times. Median throat pain scores suggest PlasmaKnife to be less painful in the early postoperative period (at 8 h, P < 0.005) but, overall, did not quite reach statistical significance (Mann–Whitney U‐test). PlasmaKnife was similar to bipolar in all other measured categories. During the study, three secondary bleeds occurred in the PlasmaKnife group and all were managed conservatively. Conclusion: PlasmaKnife is a safe new technology with similar outcome to the established bipolar technique. This preliminary study finds PlasmaKnife to be an interesting instrument and warrants a larger randomised study to truly evaluate the potential advantages of lowered pain and early recovery attributed to this emerging technology.     

Ligation vs. bipolar diathermy for haemostasis in tonsillectomy—a comparative study

The use of diathermy for haemostasis in Tonsillectomy remains controversial. A thorough scan of English literature comparing the ligation with diathermy has been presented. The reasoning of using Bipolar instead of Unipolar is explained. A prospective randomized study of 376 tonsillectomy is being presented. This is the first study in India where Bipolar instead of Unipolar diathermy is being used. No significant difference was found in P.O. Hg. rates when either diathermy or ligatures were used. Diathermy is significantly faster method of securing haemostasis resulting in shorter operative a & anesthetic time, thus saving on cost. Long term follow-up has shown better results with diathermy & is associated with less pharyngitis, hyper-trophied nodes & resulis in more smooth tonsillar fossae.