An Observational Review of Tonsillectomy and Appendectomy Procedures Conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Abstract

Background: Tonsillectomy and appendectomy are the most frequently performed surgical procedures in pediatric and adult populations. However, comprehensive data examining their occurrence within the same hospital setting remain sparse. This study aimed to characterize the demographic and clinical profiles of patients undergoing tonsillectomy and assess the frequency and outcomes of those who additionally underwent appendectomy.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 337 patients who underwent tonsillectomy at a tertiary care hospital from 2015 to 2017. Data collected included age, nationality, sex, year of tonsillectomy, and details of any concurrent or subsequent appendectomy, such as complicating factors (e.g., perforation and abscess), imaging findings (appendicolith), and pathology results. Statistical analyses were performed using Minitab 18 (Minitab, Inc., State College, PA).

Results: Among 337 patients, five (1.5%) underwent appendectomy in addition to tonsillectomy. Overall, 78.3% (264/337) of the tonsillectomy group were pediatric vs. 21.7% (73/337) adult, while 60% (3/5) of the appendectomy group were pediatric and 40% (2/5) adult (p = 0.33). The mean (standard deviation) age across the entire cohort was 16.17 (10.48) years, and 55.2% (186/337) were men. No cases of complicated appendicitis were identified among the appendectomy patients, although three (representing 0.9% of the total cohort and 60% of the appendectomy subgroup) exhibited an appendicolith on imaging. Pathology findings confirmed acute appendicitis in four (1.2%) of these cases and a normal appendix in one (0.3%). Statistical comparisons revealed no significant difference in median age between patients undergoing tonsillectomy alone and those who also had an appendectomy (p = 0.86), nor in distribution by gender across procedures (p = 0.78).

Conclusion: This review highlights the young demographic profile of patients undergoing tonsillectomy in a tertiary care hospital and underscores the relatively low incidence of appendectomy in this cohort. Despite the small subset of appendectomy cases, timely intervention may have contributed to the absence of complicated appendicitis. Notably, institutionwide data suggest that negative appendectomies remain rare overall, indicating a need for further research into this phenomenon. These findings underscore the need for continued surveillance and future multicenter studies to better elucidate potential shared risk factors and outcomes associated with these commonly performed surgical procedures.