To Örebro University

OBJECTIVE: To describe postoperative analgesic regimens and patient-reported pain-related outcomes after tonsil surgery.

METHODS: Cohort study including perioperative data (n = 9274) and patient-reported outcome measures (n = 5080) registered in the Swedish Quality Register for Tonsil Surgery during 2023.

RESULTS: After tonsil surgery, 92.7% received at least paracetamol and a NSAID/COX inhibitor, while 6.8% received no NSAID/COX inhibitor. Opioids were prescribed after tonsillectomy to 62.9% of adults and less often to adolescents and children (13-17-year-olds: 48.2%, 6-12-year-olds: 8.8%, 0-5-year-olds: 4.0%). Clonidine was frequently prescribed to 0-5-year-olds after tonsillectomy (54.4%). Overall, 11.7% reported dissatisfaction with the pain treatment, with the highest dissatisfaction rate after tonsillectomy in adolescents (20.6%) and adults (20.0%), and the lowest after tonsillotomy in children (4.9-6.8%). The most common complaint among dissatisfied patients was analgesics not being sufficiently helpful. Adult patients who received addition of opioids were less dissatisfied with the pain treatment (15.9% vs. 25.9%, p < 0.001), but also reported more side effects (5.7% vs. 2.7%, p = 0.039), compared with patients who received only paracetamol and NSAID/COX inhibitors.

CONCLUSION: Tonsil surgery patients in Sweden receive various analgesic regimens. Although most are satisfied with pain treatment, there is room for improvement, particularly among adolescents and adults undergoing tonsillectomy. Paracetamol and a NSAID/COX inhibitor seem advisable as basic treatment. However, many patients need more effective treatment. The addition of opioids in adults results in greater satisfaction with pain treatment, but safety issues with opioid prescriptions must be taken into consideration.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level 4 Laryngoscope, 2024.