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Wilson JA, Fouweather T, Stocken DD, Homer T, Haighton C, Rousseau N, O'Hara J, Vale L, Wilson R, Carnell S, Wilkes S, Morrison J, Ah-See K, Carrie S, Hopkins C, Howe N, Hussain M, Lindley L, MacKenzie K, McSweeney L, Mehanna H, Raine C, Whelan RS, Sullivan F, von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff A, Teare D. Tonsillectomy compared with conservative management in patients over 16 years with recurrent sore throat: the NATTINA RCT and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess 2023; 27:1-195. [PMID: 38204203 PMCID: PMC11017150 DOI: 10.3310/ykur3660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The place of tonsillectomy in the management of sore throat in adults remains uncertain. Objectives To establish the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of tonsillectomy, compared with conservative management, for tonsillitis in adults, and to evaluate the impact of alternative sore throat patient pathways. Design This was a multicentre, randomised controlled trial comparing tonsillectomy with conservative management. The trial included a qualitative process evaluation and an economic evaluation. Setting The study took place at 27 NHS secondary care hospitals in Great Britain. Participants A total of 453 eligible participants with recurrent sore throats were recruited to the main trial. Interventions Patients were randomised on a 1 : 1 basis between tonsil dissection and conservative management (i.e. deferred surgery) using a variable block-stratified design, stratified by (1) centre and (2) severity. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure was the total number of sore throat days over 24 months following randomisation. The secondary outcome measures were the number of sore throat episodes and five characteristics from Sore Throat Alert Return, describing severity of the sore throat, use of medications, time away from usual activities and the Short Form questionnaire-12 items. Additional secondary outcomes were the Tonsil Outcome Inventory-14 total and subscales and Short Form questionnaire-12 items 6 monthly. Evaluation of the impact of alternative sore throat patient pathways by observation and statistical modelling of outcomes against baseline severity, as assessed by Tonsil Outcome Inventory-14 score at recruitment. The incremental cost per sore throat day avoided, the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained based on responses to the Short Form questionnaire-12 items and the incremental net benefit based on costs and responses to a contingent valuation exercise. A qualitative process evaluation examined acceptability of trial processes and ramdomised arms. Results There was a median of 27 (interquartile range 12-52) sore throats over the 24-month follow-up. A smaller number of sore throats was reported in the tonsillectomy arm [median 23 (interquartile range 11-46)] than in the conservative management arm [median 30 (interquartile range 14-65)]. On an intention-to-treat basis, there were fewer sore throats in the tonsillectomy arm (incident rate ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.43 to 0.65). Sensitivity analyses confirmed this, as did the secondary outcomes. There were 52 episodes of post-operative haemorrhage reported in 231 participants undergoing tonsillectomy (22.5%). There were 47 re-admissions following tonsillectomy (20.3%), 35 relating to haemorrhage. On average, tonsillectomy was more costly and more effective in terms of both sore throat days avoided and quality-adjusted life-years gained. Tonsillectomy had a 100% probability of being considered cost-effective if the threshold for an additional quality-adjusted life year was £20,000. Tonsillectomy had a 69% probability of having a higher net benefit than conservative management. Trial processes were deemed to be acceptable. Patients who received surgery were unanimous in reporting to be happy to have received it. Limitations The decliners who provided data tended to have higher Tonsillectomy Outcome Inventory-14 scores than those willing to be randomised implying that patients with a higher burden of tonsillitis symptoms may have declined entry into the trial. Conclusions The tonsillectomy arm had fewer sore throat days over 24 months than the conservative management arm, and had a high probability of being considered cost-effective over the ranges considered. Further work should focus on when tonsillectomy should be offered. National Trial of Tonsillectomy IN Adults has assessed the effectiveness of tonsillectomy when offered for the current UK threshold of disease burden. Further research is required to define the minimum disease burden at which tonsillectomy becomes clinically effective and cost-effective. Trial registration This trial is registered as ISRCTN55284102. Funding This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 12/146/06) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 27, No. 31. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet A Wilson
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Tony Fouweather
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Deborah D Stocken
- Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Tara Homer
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Catherine Haighton
- Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Nikki Rousseau
- Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - James O'Hara
- Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Luke Vale
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Rebecca Wilson
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sonya Carnell
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Scott Wilkes
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK
| | | | - Kim Ah-See
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Sean Carrie
- Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Claire Hopkins
- Ear, Nose and Throat and Head and Neck Department, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Nicola Howe
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | - Kenneth MacKenzie
- Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Lorraine McSweeney
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hisham Mehanna
- Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Christopher Raine
- Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
| | - Ruby Smith Whelan
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Frank Sullivan
- Population and Behavioural Science Division, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | | | - Dawn Teare
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Kim BY, Lee SJ, Yun JH, Bae JH. Taste Dysfunction after Tonsillectomy: A Meta-analysis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2020; 130:205-210. [PMID: 32741219 DOI: 10.1177/0003489420946770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to provide information on the effects of tonsillectomy, in particular, its effects on taste dysfunction; also known as dysgeusia, and provide direction for future research in this area. METHODS We independently searched five databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, the Web of Science, and the Cochrane database) for related studies published as recently as December 2019. From the included studies, we reviewed the findings on tonsillectomy and taste disturbance through the use of a questionnaire, chemogustometry, and electrogustometry. We analyzed other conditions that were measured in these studies that included; postoperative pain intensity and other morbidities (eg, postoperative bleeding, hemostasis, tongue numbness and zinc, copper, and iron hemoglobin levels measured). RESULTS Postoperative taste disturbance based on questionnaire (VAS) scores at 14 days (SMD = -0.31 [-0.50, -0.12], P value = .0012) tended to decrease significantly in the post-tonsillectomy group compared to the pre-tonsillectomy group. Patients showed significantly decreased taste sensation after tonsillectomy than in the preoperative test. Postoperative electrogusmetry at 7 days (SMD = 0.60 [0.27, 0.94], P = .0004) tended to increase significantly in the post-tonsillectomy group compared to the pre-tonsillectomy group. CONCLUSION Tonsillectomy is a commonly performed surgery, and taste disturbance occurs frequently as a post operative effect. Taste dysfunction is important to patients with regard to their quality of life and the overall effects of taste on their day-to-day life. This study can be a useful meta-analysis of dysgeusia in tonsillectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boo-Young Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - So Jeong Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ju Hyun Yun
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Ho Bae
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
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Kitaya S, Kikuchi T, Yahata I, Ikeda R, Nomura K, Kawase T, Katori Y. Risk factors of post-tonsillectomy dysgeusia. Auris Nasus Larynx 2019; 47:238-241. [PMID: 31324400 DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate risk factors for dysgeusia after tonsillectomy. METHODS A retrospective survey of medical records identified 318 patients (163 male and 155 female subjects aged 12-75 years, average 41.7±16.1 years) who underwent tonsillectomy. RESULTS Thirty three patients (10.4%) and seven patients (2.2%) reported suffering from dysgeusia three and six months after tonsillectomy, respectively. Average age, serum level of Zn and operation time were not significantly different between positive and negative findings of dysgeusia. Women with positive findings of dysgeusia (72.7%) was significantly higher than men (27.3%) (Odds ratio: 3.276, 95% CI: 1.441-7.450, p<0.005). A chi-square test of independence was calculated comparing the frequency of dysgeusia in under 60 years old group (13-59 years-old) and 60 years old and over group (60-75 years-old). A significant interaction was found (χ2 (1)=5.238. p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Women and under 60 years old patients had a significantly higher rate of dysgeusia after tonsillectomy. It is recommended that patients are informed of the potential postoperative complication of dysgeusia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiori Kitaya
- JCHO Sendai Hospital, Sendai, Japan; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Toshiaki Kikuchi
- JCHO Sendai Hospital, Sendai, Japan; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Izumi Yahata
- JCHO Sendai Hospital, Sendai, Japan; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Ryoukichi Ikeda
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; Division of Otolaryngology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Kazuhiro Nomura
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Tetsuaki Kawase
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Yukio Katori
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
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Soldatova L, Doty RL. Post-tonsillectomy taste dysfunction: Myth or reality? World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2018; 4:77-83. [PMID: 30035265 PMCID: PMC6051494 DOI: 10.1016/j.wjorl.2018.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lingual branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN Ⅸ) are at risk of injury during tonsillectomy due to their proximity to the muscle layer of the palatine tonsillar bed. However, it is unclear how often this common surgery leads to taste disturbances. We conducted a literature search using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PsychInfo, and Ovid Medline to evaluate the available literature on post-tonsillectomy taste disorders. Studies denoting self-reported dysfunction, as well as those employing quantitative testing, i.e., chemogustometry and electrogustometry, were identified. Case reports were excluded. Of the 8 original articles that met our inclusion criteria, only 5 employed quantitative taste tests. The highest prevalence of self-reported taste disturbances occurred two weeks after surgery (32%). Two studies reported post-operative chemical gustometry scores consistent with hypogeusia. However, in the two studies that compared pre- and post-tonsillectomy test scores, one found no difference and the other found a significant difference only for the left rear of the tongue 14 days post-op. In the two studies that employed electrogustometry, elevated post-operative thresholds were noted, although only one compared pre- and post-operative thresholds. This study found no significant differences. No study employed a normal control group to assess the influences of repeated testing on the sensory measures. Overall, this review indicates that studies on post-tonsillectomy taste disorders are limited and ambiguous. Future research employing appropriate control groups and taste testing procedures are needed to define the prevalence, duration, and nature of post-tonsillectomy taste disorders.
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Rubie I, Haighton C, O'Hara J, Rousseau N, Steen N, Stocken DD, Sullivan F, Vale L, Wilkes S, Wilson J. The NAtional randomised controlled Trial of Tonsillectomy IN Adults (NATTINA): a clinical and cost-effectiveness study: study protocol for a randomised control trial. Trials 2015; 16:263. [PMID: 26047934 PMCID: PMC4467045 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-0768-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of tonsillectomy in the management of adult tonsillitis remains uncertain and UK regional variation in tonsillectomy rates persists. Patients, doctors and health policy makers wish to know the costs and benefits of tonsillectomy against conservative management and whether therapy can be better targeted to maximise benefits and minimise risks of surgery, hence maximising cost-effective use of resources. NATTINA incorporates the first attempt to map current NHS referral criteria against other metrics of tonsil disease severity. METHODS/DESIGN A UK multi-centre, randomised, controlled trial for adults with recurrent tonsillitis to compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of tonsillectomy versus conservative management. An initial feasibility study comprises qualitative interviews to investigate the practicality of the protocol, including willingness to randomise and be randomised. Approximately 20 otolaryngology staff, 10 GPs and 15 ENT patients will be recruited over 5 months in all 9 proposed main trial participating sites. A 6-month internal pilot will then recruit 72 patients across 6 of the 9 sites. Participants will be adults with recurrent acute tonsillitis referred by a GP to secondary care. Randomisation between tonsillectomy and conservative management will be according to a blocked allocation method in a 1:1 ratio stratified by centre and baseline disease severity. If the pilot is successful, the main trial will recruit a further 528 patients over 18 months in all 9 participating sites. All participants will be followed up for a total of 24 months, throughout which both primary and secondary outcome data will be collected. The primary outcome is the number of sore throat days experienced over the 24-month follow-up. The pilot and main trials include an embedded qualitative process evaluation. DISCUSSION NATTINA is designed to evaluate the relative effectiveness and efficiency of tonsillectomy versus conservative management in patients with recurrent sore throat who are eligible for surgery. Most adult tonsil disease and surgery has an impact on economically active age groups, with individual and societal costs through loss of earnings and productivity. Avoidance of unnecessary operations and prioritisation of those individuals likely to gain most from tonsillectomy would reduce costs to the NHS and society. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN55284102, Date of Registration: 4 August 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Rubie
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK.
| | - Catherine Haighton
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK.
| | - James O'Hara
- ENT Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK.
| | - Nikki Rousseau
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK.
| | - Nick Steen
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK.
| | - Deborah D Stocken
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK.
| | - Frank Sullivan
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada.
| | - Luke Vale
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK.
| | - Scott Wilkes
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, SR1 3SD, UK.
| | - Janet Wilson
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK.
- ENT Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK.
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