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. 2025 Aug 7;17(8):e89560.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.89560. eCollection 2025 Aug.

Exploring the Feasibility of Daycase Pediatric Tonsillectomy in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Retrospective Review

Rana S Alkatheeri  1 , Mustafa A Abdul Latif  1 , Shayan S Ansari  1
Affiliations

Exploring the Feasibility of Daycase Pediatric Tonsillectomy in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Retrospective Review

Rana S Alkatheeri et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction Tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy, is one of the most commonly performed procedures in pediatric otolaryngology. Over the years, there has been a shift in postoperative practice from routine admissions to daycase procedures. The study aimed to evaluate the postoperative course of pediatric tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy in a local tertiary care hospital, and to compare our current practices with the internationally published data on the subject. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted at Tawam Hospital in the UAE. We included pediatric patients aged one to 15 years who underwent tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy at our hospital. The study was conducted over a six-month period from December 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024. Results A total of 65 patients were included in the study. Thirty-nine patients (60%) were admitted postoperatively, while 26 (40%) were discharged the same day. When the UK guidelines were applied, the suggested admissions dropped to 31 (47.7%), and the daycase procedures increased to 34 (52.3%). Both of the daycase rates were lower than the 80% target recommended by the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. Conclusion Pediatric adenotonsillectomy still appears to be a safe daycare procedure in a tertiary care hospital. However, achieving an 80% daycase rate might not be possible in our population due to patients' specific factors.

Keywords: adenoidectomy; adenotonsillectomy; daycase; pediatric otolaryngology; tertiary care; tonsillectomy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Tawam Human Research Ethics Committee (T-HREC) issued approval MF2058-2025-1263. This study was approved by the Tawam Human Research Ethics Committee (MF2058-2025-1263). The requirement for informed consent was waived due to the retrospective nature of the study. Patient data were anonymized and handled in accordance with institutional guidelines and the Declaration of Helsinki. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Age distribution of adenotonsillectomy patients
The histogram shows the frequency of patients (y-axis) across different age groups in years (x-axis). A total of 65 patients are included. The black curve represents a normal distribution fitted to the data. The mean age is 6.01 years with a standard deviation of 2.9 years.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Comparison of inpatient admissions and daycase procedures across different BMI-for-age categories
Distribution of patients by BMI-for-age classification stratified by Daycase and Inpatient status. Data are presented as number of patients (n) within each category.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Medical comorbidities in the study population
Frequency of medical comorbidities among admitted patients (N = 11). Asthma was the most common (n = 7; 63.6%), followed by panhypopituitarism and syndromic conditions (n = 2 each; 18.2%). Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and behavioral disorders were each reported in one patient (9.1%).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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