Paediatric coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy
Reviewed by Andy Hall

The ENT-UK tonsillectomy audit in 2005 created understandable caution in the promotion of Coblation techniques. This prospective study on 100 consecutive paediatric patients looked at outcomes following ‘cold’ radiofrequency ablation (Coblation) intracapsular tonsillectomy. This series shows the technique to be associated with rapid recovery, no postoperative bleeding (early or late) or any need for re-admission. The mean T14 (Paediatric throat disorders outcome tool) score for both objective and infective domains fell dramatically. This early data suggests that Coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy is likely to become an area of great interest to ENT surgeons who regularly perform tonsillectomy in children. This is surely an area where a randomised control trial would provide invaluable information if constructed correctly. In the mean time, large scale case series such as this are piquing interest in the technique.

Our experience. Coblation® intracapsular tonsillectomy (tonsillotomy) in children: a prospective study of 100 consecutive cases.
Hadjisymeou S, Modayil PC, Dean H, et al.
CLINICAL OTOLARYNGOLOGY
2014;39(5):301-7.