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Effect of Cooling Irrigating Saline in Tongue Base Ablation in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Article in OTO open. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Robotic versus non-robotic posterior midline glossectomy for obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of Chilled Versus Room Temperature Saline on Procedure Time and Postoperative Outcomes Following Coblation Intracapsular Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy in Children With Sleep Disordered Breathing: A Randomised Control Trial.ANZ journal of surgery · 2025Trial
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivePlasma is formed by creating a high-density energy field within an electrically conductive fluid such as saline. Sometimes ablated bits of tissue get stuck between the electrodes of the wand, obstructing the suction channel. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of cooling the irrigating saline during ablation of the hypertrophied tongue base in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. STUDY
designProspective randomized controlled trial.
settingAn otorhinolaryngology department in Main University hospitals.
methodsSixty adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea and tongue base hypertrophy underwent tongue base ablation surgery. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 patients each: cooled saline and room temperature saline. The Coblation wand used was the EVac 70 Xtra HP (Smith & Nephew).
resultsIn this study, a significant difference in operative time (mean ± SD) was seen between groups: 21.2 ± 5.5 minutes in the cold group and 47 ± 9.5 minutes in the control group (
conclusionCooling the irrigating saline overcame the problem of wand clogs, and the wand tip did not occlude at all during the procedures, thus saving time lost in wand cleaning and demonstrating a faster and safer surgical procedure. Further studies are needed to identify the hemostatic effect of the cooled saline over the regular one.
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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.