Harmonic scalpel tonsillectomy in XXXX : a randomized prospective study.

@entity1 @entity190 @entity158 @entity282 @entity2145
OBJECTIVE: In this randomized prospective study, we evaluated postoperative morbidity after use of the Harmonic Scalpel (HS), an ultrasonic dissector coagulator (Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc, Cincinnati, @entity2145 ), or conventional electrocautery (EC) during tonsillectomy. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Pediatric subjects at 2 sites were randomized and underwent tonsillectomy. Intraoperative @entity190 and operation duration were recorded. Postoperative parameters and complications were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred seventeen subjects completed the study. For the HS group, mean operative time was significantly longer (P < 0.001), but intraoperative @entity190 was equivalent (P = 1.000). HS subjects slept soundly on postoperative days 1, 2, 3, and 14 (P = 0.041, 0.013, 0.022, and 0.038, respectively, compared with EC group). Mean @entity282 scores trended lower for HS subjects on postoperative days 2, 3, and 4. CONCLUSION: The use of the HS in pediatric tonsillectomy showed no increase in intraoperative or postoperative @entity190 compared with the use of EC, and HS provided possible clinical advantages over EC in @entity1 comfort. SIGNIFICANCE: Tonsillectomy subjects in the HS group showed a statistically significant ability to sleep soundly, suggesting that the subjects experienced less @entity158 . These data correlate with the observed decrease in @entity158 scores.
