Tonsillectomies are one of the most frequently performed
surgeries for children suffering from repeated throat infections and related
fevers.
According to a new study conducted by researchers at the
University Medical Centre Utrecht in the
The study was based on following a group of 151 children
scheduled for tonsillectomy within six weeks and another 149 children who were
assigned to be carefully supervised, meaning close monitoring and additional
interventions if necessary. The researchers asked parents to track their
children’s respiratory track symptoms, measure their temperatures daily and
record any costs related to their care.
Dr. Erik Buskens, an epidemiologist and colleagues at the
University Medical Centre Utrecht in the
The study conducted between 2002 and 2003 excluded children
with frequent throat infections or those who had their tonsils removed because
of sleep apnoea.
The costs among the group, which did not have surgery,
raised about 551 euros per year, with 46 percent less compared to 803 euros for
children who had their tonsils removed.
Another discovery of the study was that children who avoided
surgery and followed a medical treatment also had fewer fevers, throat
infections and respiratory illnesses.
The researchers did not consider costs borne by parents in
the form of missed days from work or other expenses related to their children’
s illnesses.
The number of tonsillectomies performed varies from a
country to another. In 1998, 115 per 10,000 children had the surgery in the
Surgery seems to be cheaper in the
"Compared with other Western countries, our cost
estimates may be low. In other settings, the cost-effectiveness would be
further offset by more costly procedures," the researchers wrote.
The study is published in the Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.