Laser Assisted Serial Tonsillectomy

[ChiangMaiThai]

I'm an adult requiring a tonsillectomy. There is a new procedure called a laser assisted serial tonsillectomy that requires a few 15 minute appointments under local anesthetic. For adults, this is in stark contrast to the traditional operation which requires a stay in the hospital and a few weeks of painful recovery. You can read more about it here:

http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=56726

Its done in London, Houston and New York. Does anyone know if it is done anywhere in Thailand or Asia? I have emailed Bumrungrad and they don't do it so I don't have high hopes that anyone else will, but maybe I'll get lucky.

If you know the name of a laser clinic or another hospital I should try, that would be helpful too.

Thanks!

[waldwolf]

After reading the "Audit", I think I'd go for the old fashioned knife, like some of the patients who tried the laser it in the beginning.

The "Overview" report doesn't give one much confidence. (And these were surgeons in UK who had several years on-the-job practice.)

Besides, I can't hold my breath for 20 minutes and I gave up smoking 10 years ago.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Hmm. It is relatively new. The English doctors don't seem to be totally convinced, but if you look at the results from the American study, looks good to me! I don't know, if I can choose between 15 minutes in a chair with a 12 to 48 hour recovery time and a night in the hospital with a 2 to 3 week recovery time, I'm going with the former!

52 (60%) required 1 session

32 (37%) required 2 sessions

84 (98%) ‘relieved of symptoms’

(time to outcome not specified)

‘Minimal’ postoperative pain (time

to outcome not specified)

‘Patients returned to work/school

immediately or within 12 to 48

hours’

[waldwolf]

....I have emailed Bumrungrad and they don't do it so I don't have high hopes that anyone else will.....

ChiangMaiThai - I, for one, wouldn't want to be "a learning experience" for any LOS surgeon. Should you decide to proceed with this method, I would attempt to find the country and doctors who have performed the most proceedures.

I recently had laser eye surgery for a detached retna. Basically it involved spot-welding 3 concentric circles (about 300 zaps total) around a retina tear. Minimal pain (like someone punched you in the eye). Lost sight in the eye for about 1 hour. 'Uncomfortable' for about 3 days.

As the laser method described actually involves burning away tissue, I would question their statements of 'minimal' postoperative pain and recovery time.

One other question comes to mind. In many cases of tonsillitis an adenoidectomy may also be necessary, or recommended. Have any of your doctors mentioned this? I wonder if the same laser proceedure can be used for that condition?

I think you need to get a lot more questions answered. Answered by experienced authorities on the sujbect.

Good luck which ever way your decide to proceed.

cheers

[ChiangMaiThai]

I agree that I don't want to become a learning experience for any Thai Doctor. Even the traditional tonsillectomy is done differently by most Doctors in the states now, using a radio tool and saline solution, which greatly reduces recovery time. But everyone here seems to just do the classic knife method, involving a three night stay in the hospital if you're an adult and a few weeks of painful recovery. Its effective, but I'd rather avoid it if there exists a better option. At any rate, if no one does it here, I may make an extra long Visa run back to the states. I'm waiting to hear from Bangkok General ENT as I have been told they may do it.

....I have emailed Bumrungrad and they don't do it so I don't have high hopes that anyone else will.....

ChiangMaiThai - I, for one, wouldn't want to be "a learning experience" for any LOS surgeon. Should you decide to proceed with this method, I would attempt to find the country and doctors who have performed the most proceedures.

I recently had laser eye surgery for a detached retna. Basically it involved spot-welding 3 concentric circles (about 300 zaps total) around a retina tear. Minimal pain (like someone punched you in the eye). Lost sight in the eye for about 1 hour. 'Uncomfortable' for about 3 days.

As the laser method described actually involves burning away tissue, I would question their statements of 'minimal' postoperative pain and recovery time.

One other question comes to mind. In many cases of tonsillitis an adenoidectomy may also be necessary, or recommended. Have any of your doctors mentioned this? I wonder if the same laser proceedure can be used for that condition?

I think you need to get a lot more questions answered. Answered by experienced authorities on the sujbect.

Good luck which ever way your decide to proceed.

cheers

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