The Role of Hypertonic Saline in Monopolar Tonsillectomy in Pediatric Patients

Looking for a simple and inexpensive method to reduce patients’ pain during tonsillectomy. Bilateral tonsillectomy patients were enrolled and placed into different groups based on their admission numbers. Patients with odd numbers had electrical tonsillectomy on the right side with hypertonic saline injection into peritonsillar gap (group A) or electrical tonsillectomy on the left side without hypertonic saline injection (group B). Those with even numbers had electrical tonsillectomy on the left side with hypertonic saline injection into peritonsillar gap (group A) or electrical tonsillectomy on the right side without hypertonic saline injection (group B). Pain, operative bleeding, post-operation bleeding and operation time were evaluated. Injecting hypertonic saline into peritonsillar gap reduced pain caused by electrical tonsillectomy but did not impact operation or postoperative bleeding and operation time. While simple and economic, monopolar electrical tonsillectomy with the help of hypertonic saline injected into peritonsillar gap can effectively relieve patients from pain compared with surgeries without hypertonic saline injection.