Advantages of cold-knife dissection with adjunctive suction cauterization adenotonsillectomy: A useful and safe surgical technique for pediatric patients

Background and Objectives To introduce cold-knife dissection with adjunctive suction cauterization (CDASC) technique for pediatric adenotonsillectomy and to evaluate the advantages of this technique through short and long-term follow-up results. Subjects and Method Enrolled in the study were 492 subjects with a mean age of 6.5 years, who underwent adenotonsillectomy via the CDASC technique. Surgical outcomes were evaluated through the postoperative bleeding rate, days of normal diet (as a measure of pain), and improvement of obstructive symptoms at regular follow-up visits. Intraoral photography and lateral neck radiography were analyzed for long-term surgical outcomes. Results None of the enrolled patients revisited the hospital due to hemorrhage, indicating 0% immediate and delayed postoperative bleeding with this surgical technique. Most of the patients showed normal diet consumption and activity within 3 days. Postoperative intraoral photography after 6 and 12 months were graded as normal (grade 0) in 77.5% and 79.7% of the enrolled patients, respectively. Postoperative adenoid to nasopharyngeal ratios were significantly reduced (p<0.05) and no recurrence of snoring and adenoid regrowth were demonstrated during the follow-up period of 12 months. Conclusion Our CDASC technique seems to have several advantages including less postoperative pain, no postoperative bleeding, less scarring, and no recurrence of preoperative symptoms. We suggest that our CDASC technique is a very useful, safe, and effective method of surgery for pediatric adenotonsillectomy.