Adenotonsillectomy: day-case procedure

Abstract

The use of ambulatory surgery for adenotonsillectomy is becoming a well-established procedure. An audit analysis of this procedure, on the basis of no overnight hospital stay, is reported from the ENT department at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI). Patients, who had their surgery performed and were discharged from the hospital on the same day, had no more complications than those who were hospitalised for 24 hour post-operatively. Reactionary haemorrhage was not recorded in any of the 30 patients involved. Three patients (10%) needed provision for overnight hospital stay after the operation, because of nausea and vomiting in one patient, severe dysphagia in another and the insistence of the third patient to stay in as he liked the food and the play facilities on the ward. Suggestions are made for patient election and the determining factors for safe day-case adenotonsillectomy.