Outcomes of Partial Versus Complete Tonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Disordered Breathing

November 8, 2017 updated by: michael macknin, The Cleveland Clinic

Outcomes of Partial Versus Complete Tonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children

Introduction: There is currently no long-term study, which compares the outcomes of partial tonsillectomy to conventional tonsillectomy. We hypothesize that there will be little significant tonsillar regrowth with partial tonsillectomy.

Background and Significance: Tonsillectomy is the most common major surgical procedure performed on children in the United States with nearly 300,000 procedures performed each year, primarily for the indication of obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSDB). Conventional (total) tonsillectomy removes the tonsillar capsule, and partial tonsillectomy preserves the capsule by shaving away the tonsils using an endoscopic microdebrider. Partial tonsillectomy results in less pain, fewer days to normal activity and diet, and fewer days of analgesics than total tonsillectomy. There are no significant differences between the techniques in blood loss or postoperative life improved Historical evidence suggests that eventually there will be tonsillar regrowth with partial tonsillectomy. However, in a 2003 follow-up report of 243 children undergoing partial tonsillectomy and 107 undergoing complete tonsillectomy from 1998 through 2002 for OSDB there was no evidence of significant tonsillar regrowth. (1) We will follow-up children undergoing partial or complete tonsillectomies at the Cleveland Clinic from 1998 through 2002. There will be standardized tonsillar examinations by two observers, with a third observer in cases of significant disagreement, and questionnaires evaluating sleep apnea and daytime sleepiness, and number of tonsillar infections.

If there are a large number of children with recurrent tonsillar symptoms post partial tonsillectomy, the procedure should be abandoned. However, if follow-up reveals comparable tonsillar symptoms for partial and the total tonsillectomy, perhaps the partial procedure should replace the total tonsillectomy as the standard operation to relieve tonsillar OSDB. This could eventually result in millions of less lost days of work and school in the United States.

Study Overview

Study Type

Observational

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44195
        • Cleveland Clinic

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

Ages Eligible for Study

5 years to 28 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomies at the Cleveland Clinic from 1998-2002

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomies at the Cleveland Clinic from 1998-2002

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Partial Tonsillectomy
Patients who received a partial tonsillectomy
Complete Tonsillectomy
Patients who received a complete tonsillectomy

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Michael L Macknin, M.D., The Cleveland Clinic

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 Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 21, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 21, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

August 22, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 13, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 8, 2017

Last Verified

November 1, 2017

More Information

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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