What is the natural history of patients waiting for tonsillectomy during a global pandemic? A questionnaire study

Hurley, Rhona Helen and Sim, Fiona and Young, David and Douglas, Catriona M. (2022) What is the natural history of patients waiting for tonsillectomy during a global pandemic? A questionnaire study. Clinical Otolaryngology, 47 (2). pp. 364-368. ISSN 1749-4478 (https://doi.org/10.1111/coa.13903)

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Abstract

There appears to be reduced symptom burden in those waiting for tonsillectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the reduced symptom burden, most patients wished to go ahead with elective tonsillectomy. COVID-19 infection does not appear to be a factor in those patients no longer wishing to have a tonsillectomy. Patients should be reassessed during long waiting times to see if symptom burden has improved and if tonsillectomy is still required. Due to long waiting times, it is important to ensure information given can be repeated to allow adequate informed consent given the morbidity of tonsillectomy.