Argon Plasma Coagulation Tonsillectomy Versus Coblation Tonsillectomy: a Comparison of Efficacy and Safety

Background: Tonsillectomy is one of the most common otolaryngological procedures. Nonetheless, there is still no universally approved 'gold standard' technique.

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of argon plasma coagulation and coblation techniques in tonsillectomy.

Methods: A multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study was conducted, comprising 283 patients who underwent bilateral tonsillectomies performed by a single surgeon between 2014 and 2017. The outcome measures included: operative time, intra-operative blood loss, post-operative pain and post-operative haemorrhage.

Results: In the argon plasma coagulation group, mean operative time and post-operative haemorrhage rate were significantly reduced, p = 0.0006 and p = 0.003 respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of post-operative pain and intra-operative blood loss.

Conclusion: The argon plasma coagulation technique is easy, safe and efficacious. Argon plasma coagulation tonsillectomy seems cost-effective compared to coblation tonsillectomy: the single-use disposable electrode tip and wand used in this study cost AUD$76.50 and AUD$380 respectively. Argon plasma coagulation appears to be a favourable alternative to current modalities such as coblation.