ReviewEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2015
Tonsillotomy: facts and fiction.
Review in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Tonsillectomy versus tonsillotomy for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing in children.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Clinical practice guideline: tonsillitis II. Surgical management.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2016Guideline
- Cost-Utility Analysis of Intracapsular and Extracapsular Techniques for Pediatric Tonsillectomy.The Laryngoscope · 2026Article
- Comparative evaluation of subtotal and total tonsillectomy in the management of chronic tonsillopharyngitis in adults.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- Weight Gain in Obese Children After Intracapsular Tonsillectomy.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025Article
- Total versus subtotal tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis: 5-year follow up of a prospective randomized noninferiority clinical trial.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- Long-term effectiveness of tonsillotomy versus tonsillectomy: A 12-year follow-up study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- The efficacy of perioperative antibiotic therapy in adenotonsillectomy children.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Article
- Comparison of three common tonsil surgery techniques: cold steel with hot hemostasis, monopolar and bipolar diathermy.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2023Article
- Adenotonsillotomy versus adenotonsillectomy in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea: A 5-year RCT.Sleep medicine: X · 2022Article
- Article
- Tonsillotomy by a Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser: A New Technique in the Treatment of Chronic Tonsillitis.Journal of lasers in medical sciences · 2022Article
- Comparative intraindividual ablative tissue effects of diode laser 980 nm versus radiofrequency in tonsillar hypertrophy management.Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale · 2019Article
- Article
- In response to "Calculation of indirect costs of associated with postoperative caregiver absences after pediatric tonsil surgery".European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2018Article
- Hyperplasia and the degree and activity of inflammation in chronic recurrent tonsillitis: a histopathological study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2017Article
- Indirect costs related to caregivers' absence from work after paediatric tonsil surgery.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2017Article
- [An update on tonsillotomy studies].HNO · 2017Review
- Risk of reoperation after tonsillotomy versus tonsillectomy: a population-based cohort study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2016Article
- Indications for tonsillectomy stratified by the level of evidence.GMS current topics in otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery · 2016Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
In contrast to total or extracapsular tonsillectomy (TE), subtotal/intracapsular/partial tonsillectomy (SIPT) or tonsillotomy (TT) is associated with significant less postoperative morbidity. It has been stated that patients older than 8 years of age or with a history of tonsillitis should be excluded from SIPT/TT. Some health insurance companies mandate utilization of particular surgical instruments. Finally, it has been stated that the remaining tonsillar tissue may become a subject of recurrent tonsillitis or tonsillar regrowth, in both cases requiring revision surgery in terms of TE. This literature review was undertaken to clarify what has been validated in the literature concerning indications, surgical techniques, complications and outcome of SIPT/TT as reported since 1960. A Medline review was undertaken and all papers included that were published in English or German language until September 30, 2013. Exclusion criteria were: publication date 1960 and earlier, other languages, no relation to tonsil surgery, papers not available to the authors, uncommon surgical techniques, national surveys or studies without patients. The quality of the papers was classified according to "The Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence". The surgical techniques were classified according to Windfuhr and Werner and extended to interstitial tonsil therapy. Other issues were: study period, hemorrhage, dehydration, intake of analgesics, return to normal diet, surgical instruments, operation time, number of surgeons involved, number of patients, age, indications, follow-up, rate of tonsillar regrowth, tonsillitis and secondary TE. A total of 379 different publications were retrieved, but only 86 studies found eligible for further analysis. There were 10,499 patients in the study groups and 10,448 patients in the control groups. Utilization of the microdebrider largely prevailed, followed by Coblation, CO2-LASER, surgical scissor, Radiofrequency, Interstitial ThermoTherapy with various instruments, Diode-LASER, and other instruments. Instruments were not specified for 1,815 patients. Data for operation time, intraoperative bleeding, return to normal diet, analgesic intake were in favor for SIPT/TT and ablation procedures. Regrowth and tonsillitis occurred in rates of <6 % on average. Secondary surgery became necessary in only every third patient of this subgroup. Studies of variable quality impede comparison of all aspects in the papers. At least every second study did not address issues like operation time, intraoperative bleeding, return to normal diet, analgesic intake, rates of tonsillar regrowth, postsurgical tonsillitis and secondary TE. There are insufficient data to show that a single surgical instrument is superior. A history of tonsillitis and an age >8 years are definitely not commonly accepted as contraindication for SIPT, TT or ablation procedures. There is a strong evidence that pain is less after SIPT, TT and tonsil ablation resulting in an earlier return to normal diet and activity. Large, well-designed randomized controlled trials with an adequate follow-up are necessary to determine whether the procedure is capable to replace TE to resolve upper airway obstruction resulting from tonsillar hypertrophy as well as recurrent episodes of tonsillitis in children and adults.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.