QUALITY OF LIFE WITH CHRONIC TONSILLITIS IN ADULTS: A COMPARISON OF TONSILLECTOMY VERSUS CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT

Abstract

Background: Chronic tonsillitis is a common pathology in Indian population. However, tonsillectomy is rarely preferred by adults owing to the anticipated post-operative pain and complications. Therefore, the benets of tonsillectomy in adults needs to be established. Aim:To evaluate the quality of life in adults with chronic tonsillitis undergoing tonsillectomy as compared to conservative treatment. Methodology:Atotal of 64 patients (n=44, tonsillectomy; n=20, conservative treatment) from 18-50 years were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Patients with quinsy and malignancy of tonsils, sleep apnea were excluded. Tonsillectomy was performed by dissection and snare method. Patients were asked to ll a questionnaire, before and one year after the procedure in order to evaluate the impact of the procedure on their quality of life. Post-operative improvement in Quality of life (QoL) was assessed by Wilcoxon-sign rank test and proportion test using R studio (v 1.2.5001). Pvalue of ≤0.05 was considered signicant Results: Patients who underwent tonsillectomy had signicantly (P<0.05) lower episodes of sore throat, fever and painful swallow after one year of the procedure, as compared to people undergoing conservative treatment. There was also a signicant reduction (P<0.05) in the use of analgesics and antibiotics. Most patients (n=40) who underwent tonsillectomy were satised with the procedure and agreed that it had an overall positive impact of their lives. Conclusion: Tonsillectomy provides relief from the symptoms of tonsillitis thereby improving the Quality of Life in adults. It can thus be advised as a treatment of choice in adults with chronic tonsillitis