Ligation versus Diathermy in Tonsillectomy Haemostasis

Abstract

AbstractObjectives: A comparative prospective study of 400 patients to evaluate the ligation and diathermy techniques as methods of haemostasis in tonsillectomy.Methods: Four hundred patients were divided into two equal groups, calculating the haemostasis time, primary and secondary haemorrhage in addition to pain in both the ligation and diathermy groups.Results: Ligation technique had a high incidence of primary haemorrhage (5%) and less postoperative pain, while diathermy had increased incidence of secondary haemorrhage (5.5%), and more pain but with 40% reduction of haemostasis time. Conclusion: It is recommended to use the conventional ligation method especially in teaching centers for its safety, easily done by the juniors and less intensity of pain.Key words: Tonsillectomy; Ligation; Diathermy