Tonsillectomy is one of the commonest ear, nose, and throat procedures performed in the United Kingdom. In the drive to reduce complication rates and improve patients’ satisfaction, numerous adaptations to the traditional technique have evolved. In this article, the authors explore the changes that have been happening in the United Kingdom during the past 100 years and conclude that revisiting the traditional techniques may still be the answer to a successful procedure.
MathewsJLancasterJShermanISullivanGO. Guillotine tonsillectomy: a glimpse into its history and current status in the United Kingdom. J Laryngol Otol. 2002;116:988-991.
2.
FeldmannH. 200 year history of tonsillectomy. Laryngorhinootologie. 1997;76:751-760.
3.
WaughGE. A simple operation for the complete removal of tonsils, with notes on 900 cases. Lancet. 1909;1:1314-1315.
4.
McGuireN. A method of guillotine tonsillectomy with an historical review. J Laryngol Otol. 1967;81:187-195.
5.
DraffinDA. A useful bipod. Br Med J. 1951;2:52-53.
6.
Remington-HobbsC. Diathermy in dissection tonsillectomy and retrograde dissection adenoidectomy. J Laryngol Otol. 1968;82:953-962.
7.
MiticSTvinnereimMLieE. A pilot randomised controlled trial of coblation tonsillectomy verses dissection tonsillectomy with bipolar diathermy haemostasis. Clin Otolaryngol. 2007;32:261-267.
8.
BurtonMJDoreeC. Coblation versus other surgical techniques for tonsillectomy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(3):CD004619.
9.
AxonATBeilenhoffUBrambleMG. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and gastrointestinal endoscopy. Endoscopy. 2001;33:1070-1080.
