Observational studyClinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery2021
Paediatric tonsillectomy in England: A cohort study of clinical practice and outcomes using Hospital Episode Statistics data (2008-2019).
Observational study in Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 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
19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Tie or do not tie: comparing knot tying hemostasis in tonsillectomy with other methods of hemostasis. A systematic review and meta-analysis.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 · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of pain management after tonsillectomy.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Can probiotic gargles reduce post-tonsillectomy morbidity in adult patients? A pilot, triple-blind, randomised, controlled trial and feasibility study.The Journal of laryngology and otology · 2023Trial
- Tonsillectomy Complications in Adults: A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study of National Health Service Patients in England Using Hospital Episode Statistics.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2026Observational
- Incidence and causes of unplanned acute care revisits after pediatric tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy: a systematic review.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 · 2026Review
- Pediatric intracapsular tonsillectomy: a comprehensive review and expert perspective.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 · 2026Review
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) survey of caregivers of children undergoing plasma tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy regarding postoperative pain management.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Enhancing adherence to tonsillectomy guidelines: a quality improvement audit in a resource-limited setting.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Article
- Clinical significance and diagnostic approach for paediatric unilateral tonsillar enlargement: insights from a retrospective analysis.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2025Article
- Impact of Childhood Tonsillectomy on Adult Height-A Study of the UK Biobank.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025Article
- Article
- Preoperative Predictors of Severe Respiratory Events After Tonsillectomy: Consideration for Pediatric Intensive Care Admission.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2023Article
- Is Laser Better than Cold Steel (Dissection and Snare) for Tonsillectomy?Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2023Article
- Coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy: A cohort study of NHS practice in England using Hospital Episode Statistics.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2022Observational
- Reference rate for post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage in Australia-A 2000-2020 national hospital morbidity database analysis.PloS one · 2022Article
- Considerations in Surgical Management of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Tonsillectomy and Beyond.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Paediatric tonsillectomy in England: A cohort study of clinical practice and outcomes using Hospital Episode Statistics data (2008-2019).Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2021Observational
- Prostatic urethral lift (UroLift): a real-world analysis of outcomes using hospital episodes statistics.BMC urology · 2021Observational
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
17 authors at 12 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo assess the safety of paediatric tonsillectomy procedures conducted in NHS hospitals in England between 2008 and 2019.
designRetrospective observational cohort study using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data.
settingAcute NHS trusts in England conducting paediatric tonsillectomy procedures.
participantsChildren (≤16 years old) undergoing bilateral tonsillectomy.
main outcome measuresNumber of tonsillectomies performed per year by procedural method. In-hospital complications including return to theatre for arrest of haemorrhage. Readmission within 28 days, including those for pain, haemorrhage and surgical arrest of haemorrhage. Long-term outcomes: all-cause mortality, revision tonsillectomy.
resultsA total of 318 453 paediatric tonsillectomies were performed from 2008 to 2019:278,772 dissection (87.5%) and 39 681 coblation (12.5%). The proportion of tonsillectomy performed using coblation increased from 7% in 2008/9 to 27% in 2018/9. Five patients died in hospital (including 4 due to respiratory complications). In-hospital complications occurred in 4202 children (1.3%), with the most frequent being haemorrhage. Within 28 days of tonsillectomy, 28 170 patients (8.8%) were readmitted and 7 deaths occurred. Readmission rates for haemorrhage and pain have increased since 2008. The proportion of children undergoing revision tonsillectomy procedures within 5 years following coblation tonsillectomy (1.4%) was approximately double that of dissection (0.6%).
conclusionsClinical practice of paediatric tonsillectomy has changed in England over the past 11 years. The overall mortality rate associated with the procedure is 0.0037%. Differences in outcomes have been identified for different procedural methods. However, routine administrative data are limited in differentiating procedural detail (eg we are unable to differentiate intra or extra-capsular techniques from current clinical coding of tonsillectomy procedures). Therefore, prospective national data collection or more granular clinical coding is essential to capture relative outcomes of the different tonsillectomy methods and techniques being used in the NHS.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.