Endoscopic adenoidectomy in pediatrics: a randomized clinical trial comparing suction diathermy and Coblation techniques

Background and aim Adenoidectomy is a highly common procedure among children. Various techniques have been developed for performing this operation. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of two popular methods: endoscopic adenoidectomy using suction diathermy and the Coblation technique. Patients and methods In this prospective comparative study, patients were divided into two groups to undergo one of the comparative techniques: group A underwent endoscopic adenoidectomy using suction diathermy, while group B underwent endoscopic adenoidectomy using the Coblation technique. Patients were compared regarding intraoperative blood loss, operative time, postoperative bleeding (reactionary and secondary), and postoperative pain (early and late). Results A total of 60 patients were randomly assigned to two groups, with 30 patients in each group. In group A, there were 19 (63%) females and 11 (37%) males, while in group B, there were 13 (43%) females and 17 (57%) males. The mean age of patients in group A was 9.02 (SD, 3.47), and in group B, it was 6.93 (SD, 2.75). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the median operative time ( P =0.833). However, group B showed statistically significant differences compared with group A in the mean estimated intraoperative blood loss, median early postoperative pain (visual analog scale score), and median number of recovered days ( P =0.015, 0.034, and 0.04, respectively). Conclusion Endoscopic adenoidectomy with Coblation should be considered as a preferred option for managing pediatric patients with adenoidal disease.