Erik Odhagen

Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rates are related to technique for dissection and for haemostasis. An analysis of 15734 patients in the National Tonsil Surgery Register in Sweden

To analyse post‐tonsillectomy haemorrhage (PTH) rates related to technique for dissection and haemostasis.

Tonsil surgery in Sweden 2013–2015. Indications, surgical methods and patient-reported outcomes from the National Tonsil Surgery Register

Abstract Aim: To describes how tonsil surgery was performed in Sweden from 2013 to 2015 with data from the National Tonsil Surgery Registry in Sweden (NTSRS). Method: The registry collects data from both professionals and patients through questionnaires. A total of 33,870 tonsil surgeries were analysed, comprising approximately 80% of all tonsil surgeries in Sweden from 2013 to 2015. Results: The two most common procedures were tonsillectomy (41%) and tonsillotomy with adenoidectomy (38%). Tonsillectomy was most commonly performed to treat frequent tonsillitis, while the main indication for tonsil surgery with combined adenoidectomy and for tonsillotomy alone was upper airway obstruction. The most commonly used techniques were cold steel (70%) for tonsillectomy/adenotonsillectomy and radiofrequency (79%) for tonsillotomy/adenotonsillotomy. Ninety-five percent of patients reported symptom relief after 180 d. Day surgery was utilised in 70% of the surgeries. The rate of readmission due to post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage was 5.1%. Male patients more often underwent tonsil surgery at preschool ages due to upper airway obstruction; in comparison, female patients to a larger extent underwent surgery in their early teens because of previous infections. Conclusions: The NTSRS provides an opportunity to survey tonsil surgery in Sweden and to launch and follow up improvement programmes as desired.

Reducing post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rates through a quality improvement project using a Swedish National quality register: a case study

PurposeTonsillectomy (TE) is one of the most frequently performed ENT surgical procedures. Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage (PTH) is a potentially life-threatening complication of TE. The National Tonsil Surgery Register in Sweden (NTSRS) has revealed wide variations in PTH rates among Swedish ENT centres. In 2013, the steering committee of the NTSRS, therefore, initiated a quality improvement project (QIP) to decrease the PTH incidence. The aim of the present study was to describe and evaluate the multicentre QIP initiated to decrease PTH rates.MethodsSix ENT centres, all with PTH rates above the Swedish average, participated in the 7-month quality improvement project. Each centre developed improvement plans describing the intended changes in clinical practice. The project’s primary outcome variable was the PTH rate. Process indicators, such as surgical technique, were also documented. Data from the QIP centres were compared with a control group of 15 surgical centres in Sweden with similarly high PTH rates. Data from both groups for the 12 months prior to the start of the QIP were compared with data for the 12 months after the QIP.ResultsThe QIP centres reduced the PTH rate from 12.7 to 7.1% from pre-QIP to follow-up; in the control group, the PTH rate remained unchanged. The QIP centres also exhibited positive changes in related key process indicators, i.e., increasing the use of cold techniques for dissection and haemostasis.ConclusionsThe rates of PTH can be reduced with a QIP. A national quality register can be used not only to identify areas for improvement but also to evaluate the impact of subsequent improvement efforts and thereby guide professional development and enhance patient outcomes.