Intracapsular Tonsillectomy in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults

April 22, 2025 updated by: Jaakko Piitulainen, Turku University Hospital
Treating sleep apnea in adults caused by tonsillar hypertrophy with intracapsular tonsillectomy by coblation

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The investigators aim to study if good surgical results can be achieved by intracapsular tonsillectomy with coblation while monitoring safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In adult tonsil surgery, the current practice in Finland is commonly extracapsular tonsillectomy with monopolar electrosurgery.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
25

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Henrik M. Sjöblom, M.D.
  • Phone Number: +358 023130000
  • Email: hmsjob@utu.fi

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Finland
    • Satakunta
      • Pori, Satakunta, Finland, 28500
        • Satasairaala
    • Varsinais-Suomi
      • Turku, Varsinais-Suomi, Finland, 20521
        • Turku University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

16 years to 65 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age 16-64
  • Planned tonsil surgery with informed concent
  • Obstructive sleep apnea (AHI > 15)
  • Tonsillar size of 3-4 on the Friedman scale

Exclusion Criteria:

  • BMI > 35 (Based on finnish Käypä Hoito -recommendations)
  • Central sleep apnea
  • Weight loss of more than 10% within the study period
  • Untreated obstruction of nasal breathing
  • Treated peritonsillar abscess <1 month before enrollment
  • Active tonsillar infection
  • Previous tonsillar surgery (excluding incision of abscess)
  • Malignancy
  • High use of analgesics >1 DDD daily during last 4 weeks
  • Untreated reflux
  • Anticoagulative medication
  • Any condition of hemophilia
  • Pregnancy, lactation
  • Other, evaluated by treating physician

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intracapsular tonsillectomy with coblation
(Total) Intracapsular tonsillectomy (ICTE) with coblation
Procedure: Tonsillectomy
Intracapsular removal of tonsillar tissue (>90%) with coblation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Apnea-hypopnea index
Time Frame: 6 months
Post-operative apnea-hypopnea index reduction by 50% compared to preoperative values in polysomnography.
6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quality of life measured by Nordic tonsil surgery register questionnaire
Time Frame: 6 months - up to 5 years
Questions regarding postoperative complications and perceived symptom relief after 180 days. Yes/no questions and open questions, no score.
6 months - up to 5 years
Quality of life measured by Epworth sleepiness scale
Time Frame: 6 months - up to 5 years
Questions regarding sleepiness. Score 0-24, lower is better.
6 months - up to 5 years
Post-operative recovery
Time Frame: 21 days
Recovery speed defined as score 3 or less at rest; or 5 or less without regular analgesics use, questionnaire used: Brief Pain Inventory.
21 days
Regrowth of tonsillar tissue
Time Frame: Pre-operative to 6 months
Measured by photography, Friedman scale (0-4, lower is smaller).
Pre-operative to 6 months
Quality of life measured by Glasgow Benefit Inventory
Time Frame: 6 months and 24 month and 60 months
General quality of life questionnaire. 18 questions, score 1-5 in each question, higher is better.
6 months and 24 month and 60 months
Total recovery of obstructive sleep apnea
Time Frame: 6 months and 24 months and 60 months
Defined by apnea-hypopnea index <5 post-operatively in polysomnography.
6 months and 24 months and 60 months
Apnea-index
Time Frame: 6 months and 24 months and 60 months
Post-operative apnea index reduction by 50% compared to preoperative values in polysomnography.
6 months and 24 months and 60 months
Snoring time
Time Frame: 6 months and 24 months and 60 months
Post-operative reduction of snoring time in preoperative polysomnography compared to post-operative values in
6 months and 24 months and 60 months

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Apnea-hypopnea index
Time Frame: 24 months
Post-operative apnea-hypopnea index reduction by 50% compared to preoperative values in polysomnography.
24 months
Apnea-hypopnea index
Time Frame: 60 months
Post-operative apnea-hypopnea index reduction by 50% compared to preoperative values in polysomnography.
60 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Turku University Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Jussi Jero, Professor, University of Turku
  • Principal Investigator: Jaakko Piitulainen, M.D., Ph.D., Turku University Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 31, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 13, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 17, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 19, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 22, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • T62/2020

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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