Characteristics of Tonsillectomy Surgery Patients at Prof. Dr. R. D. Kandou Manado General Hospital

Abstract

Chronic tonsillitis is a recurrent inflammation of the tonsils that can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life. Tonsillectomy, the surgical removal of the palatine tonsils and their capsule, is performed based on specific indications and the Paradise criteria. This study aimed to observe the characteristics of patients who underwent tonsillectomy at Prof. Dr. R. D. Kandou General Hospital Manado from January 2020 to October 2023. This descriptive retrospective study utilized a cross-sectional approach for data collection. Out of a total population of 66 patients who underwent tonsillectomy during the study period, 57 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The majority of patients were in the teenage age group (12-25 years), accounting for 40 patients (70.2%), with a slight male predominance of 29 patients (50.9%). Most patients were students (19 patients, 33.3%), and the primary complaint was a history of recurrent swallowing pain, reported by 26 patients (45.6%). The most common tonsil size was T3-T3, found in 17 patients (29.8%). The majority of patients were hospitalized for 3-5 days (42 patients, 73.7%), and the most frequent complication was swallowing pain, experienced by 52 patients (91.2%). In conclusion, patients who underwent tonsillectomy surgery predominantly were aged 12-25 years, male, students, presented with recurrent swallowing pain, had T3-T3 sized tonsils, were hospitalized for 3-5 days, and most commonly experienced swallowing pain as a complication.