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CC BY 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2025; 29(04): s00451810077
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1810077
Original Research

Comorbidities and Complications in Adult Peritonsillar Abscess Tonsillectomy Patients

Authors

  • Erin M. Gawel 

    1   Jacobs School Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States

  • Alexandra F. Corbin 

    1   Jacobs School Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States

  • Gaayathri Varavenkataraman 

    2   Department of Otolaryngology, Jacobs School Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States

  • Sean Clausen

    2   Department of Otolaryngology, Jacobs School Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States

  • Michele M. Carr 

    2   Department of Otolaryngology, Jacobs School Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States

Funding The authors declare that they have received no financial support from agencies in the public, private, or non-profit sectors for conduction of the present research.
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Abstract

Introduction

Tonsillectomy is often used to treat recurrent tonsillitis (RT), but it is less commonly performed to treat peritonsillar abscess (PTA). While most PTAs are treated with needle aspiration or incision and drainage, quinsy tonsillectomy is used in select cases.

Objective

To compare clinical characteristics and postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing quinsy tonsillectomy for PTA versus those undergoing tonsillectomy for RT.

Methods

The American College of Surgeons NSQIP database was used to identify adults who underwent tonsillectomy (CPT code 42826) with a diagnosis of either PTA or RT. Data was collected from 2018–2021. Demographics, comorbidities, risk factors, postoperative complications, and outcomes including operative time, length of stay (LOS), readmission, and reoperation were compared. Logistic regression identified predictors of readmission and reoperation.

Results

10241 patients had RT and 366 had PTA. PTA patients had significantly higher rates of smoking (27.0% versus 12.3%), diabetes (6.6% versus 2.5%), hypertension (11.5% versus 5.8%), and preoperative sepsis (14.5% versus 0.3%; p < .001 for all). Operative time and LOS were longer in the PTA group (33.5 minutes versus 25.8 minutes; 2.5 days versus 0.2 days, respectively; p < .001 for both). Despite higher rates of rare complications like ventilator use (0.8% versus 0.0%) and sepsis (2.2% versus 0.0%; p < .001 for both), no significant differences were observed in postoperative hemorrhage, readmission, or reoperation.

Conclusion

Adults undergoing quinsy tonsillectomy for PTA have more comorbidities and rare complications compared with RT patients, likely due to active infection. However, the procedure is not linked to increased hemorrhage risk and remains safe treatment.

Keywords

peritonsillar abscess - recurrent tonsillitis - chronic tonsillitis - quinsy tonsillectomy - postoperative complications

Authors' Contributions

EMG: data acquisition, data analysis and interpretation, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, approval of the final version; AFC: data acquisition, data interpretation, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, approval of the final version; GV: data acquisition, data interpretation, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, approval of the final version; SC: data acquisition, data interpretation, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, approval of the final version; MMC: conceptualization, study design, data analysis and interpretation, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, approval of the final version.


Data Availability Statement

Data supporting the results of this study are available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author.


This project was presented at the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2023 Annual Meeting.




Publication History

Received: 24 November 2024

Accepted: 05 June 2025

Article published online:
16 October 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Erin M. Gawel, Alexandra F. Corbin, Gaayathri Varavenkataraman, Sean Clausen, Michele M. Carr. Comorbidities and Complications in Adult Peritonsillar Abscess Tonsillectomy Patients. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2025; 29: s00451810077.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1810077