DISSECTION TONSILLECTOMY - PATTERN OF POSTOPERATIVE PAIN, MEDICATION AND RESUMPTION OF NORMAL ACTIVITY

A prospective study of 99 adults undergoing tonsillectomy was carried out to determine the pattern of post-operative pain, intake of medicat ion and timing of return to work and normal swallowing. The difference s in the pain scores, as measured by a visual analogue scale, between every third consecutive day following post-operative day four were fou nd to be highly significant (p<0.001). Sixty-six patients (66.6 per ce nt) required medication in the form of analgesics and/or antibiotics a fter the first post-operative day. Sixty-four out of a total of 82 pat ients (78.2 per cent) returned to work within 14 days of surgery. Nine ty-six patients (97 per cent) reported normal swallowing within 14 day s of surgery. These results suggest that the majority of adult patient s undergoing tonsillectomy can be appropriately advised pre-operativel y regarding the probable pattern and duration of post-operative pain a nd the timescales they can expect to return to work and normal swallow ing.