gms | German Medical Science

Introduction: Dysphagia, globus sensation and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are common complaints of patients showing hyperplastic lingual tonsils. Surgical treatment is necessary in some cases. Whereas resection using scalpel or CO₂-Laser bears a relevant morbidity interstitial treatment does not result in sufficient volume reduction. Coblation^® is a bipolar radiofrequency technique dissolving tissue at low temperatures (40–80°C). In this study we evaluated feasibility, morbidity and complications of Coblation^® as a tool to resect the lingual tonsil.

Methods: 22 patients (41±15 years of age) were included into this prospective study. We assessed the duration of surgery, pain and use of analgesics, and postoperative complications.

Results: 12 patients were operated due to OSA, 6 due to recurrent tonsillitis at the tongue base, and 4 due to globus sensation. We used a rigid endoscope in 8 cases. Mean duration of surgery was 50 minutes. Due to insufficient mouth opening complete resection of the lingual tonsil was impossible in one patient. One patient suffered from afterbleeding requiring surgical intervention with coagulation. Patients took analgesics for 5 days in average. There were neither infections nor airway compromise postoperatively under antibiotic prophylaxis.

Conclusion: The lingual tonsil can be safely removed in a simple way using Coblation^® with limited morbidity and complications.