Defective Cauterizing Tools Cause Tonsillectomy Burns
January 30th, 2008 joshua
One of the most commonly performed surgical procedures has an often underreported side effect, according to a report from Reuters.
Patients who get a tonsillectomy are being burned around the lips and mouth by a cauterizing device. These burns can result in long-term complications, reports a study by the Archives of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. Other complications from this common surgery are bleeding, pain and voice changes, the article states.
The research used for the surgery looked at more than 4,000 such procedures at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Of these, seven patients reported these complications. It also sent surveys to physicians. Of the 100 that were returned for the study, 61 doctors reported similar complications with tonsillectomies, including one that required reconstructive surgery to correct the errors.
According to the report, a faulty cautery device tip is to blame for the burns. Some times the cautery device is used as the main instrument for removal of the tonsils, while in other procedures a scalpel is used, and then the cauterizer is used to seal the wound. In both instances, the tip can still cause burns to the patients.
