THE TREATMENT OF PERITONSILLAR ABSCESS BY INCISION AND TONSILLECTOMY "A FROID" AT THE OTO-LARYNGOLOGICAL HOSPITAL, UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Abscess tonsillectomy à tiède

During recent years, primary tonsillectomy, tonsillectomy à chaud, has again become popular as the standard therapy for the peritonsillar abscess, whereas the traditional tonsillectomy à froid, made 4--6 weeks after the incision, has been partially eclipsed. It seems, however, that the intermediate form between these two, tonsillectomy à tiède, an abscess tonsillectomy made 3--4 days after the incision, would be highly practical in many cases, compared with the other two mentioned above. The tonsillectomy à chaud requires such a high state of readiness for anaesthesia, even during the emergency hours, that it is not practical in all otolaryngological departments. Tonsillectomy à tiède needs a longer hospitalization, yet requires fewer days off work than does the classical tonsillectomy à froid method. Furthermore, a significant proportion of the patients fail to present themselves for tonsillectomy at the agreed time and consequently get a recurrence of the disease later on. Tonsillectomy à tiède is almost as easy an operation as the normal tonsillectomy, both for the surgeon as for the patient. During the years 1976--77, 153 cases of peritonsillar abscess were seen. 105 cases were treated with the tonsillectomy à tiède method. The average duration of treatment was 6 1/2 days. The only complications were 6 cases of light secondary bleeding. A tonsillectomy à chaud was performed on 9 children in the age group 3--9 years.