Traditional tonsillectomies used lasers and electrocautery to dissect away inflamed tonsillar tissue, but these techniques often times damaged surrounding, healthy tissues. Consequently, patients had more prolonged and severe post-op discomfort. These days, coblation (“controlled ablation”) tonsillectomies have made the procedure as simple as a quick office visit.
“Using the Coblation wand device, the surgeon places the tip against the base of the tonsil to remove precisely the tissue attaching the tonsil to the throat. The surgeon then uses a foot pedal to control and activate the low-temperature, radio-frequency energy and saline conductive solution from the wand tip to the area around the tonsil. This action creates a plasma field that gently breaks down the targeted tissue. The wand also contains a coagulation feature that allows the surgeon to stop any bleeding quickly.” — UCLA Health
Here’s a short video which outlines what coblation tonsillectomy actually entails from a surgical perspective. You can clearly see how the coblation wand is deftly utilized to gradually excise away the tonsillar tissue.
A bilateral coblation tonsillectomy takes roughly 15 minutes and most patients are ready to go home within an hour with a few days of throat soreness post-op. Remarkable! 🙂
Leave a Reply