Objective: To compare postoperative pain scores between monopolar electrocautery and coblation subcapsular tonsillectomy.
Study design: Prospective double-blind randomized study.
Setting: Tertiary care children's hospital.
Subjects and methods: Between December 2004 and April 2008, 61 children, ages 4 to 20 years (mean age, 10 years; SD, 4 years), were randomized to have one tonsil removed by electrocautery and the other tonsil removed by coblation. Subjects used the FACES scale to rate pain on each side immediately postoperatively, 2 days postoperatively, and 2 weeks postoperatively. Postoperative hemorrhage was also tracked.
Results: Coblation tonsillectomy resulted in statistically less pain than electrocautery immediately after surgery, but this difference was not clinically significant.
Conclusions: Pediatric pain is similar following monopolar electrocautery or coblation subcapsular tonsillectomy.