Does laryngopharyngeal reflux affect healing and recovery after tonsillectomy?

Introduction: Laryngopharyngeal reflux is increasingly being implicated in several otolaryngological disorders. Aims: To study a potential correlation between pre-operative laryngopharyngeal reflux and wound healing and recovery after tonsillectomy, based on subjective and objective findings. Materials and methods: A prospective, blinded study was undertaken, including 60 patients scheduled for tonsillectomy, divided into two equal groups: a study group (group A) with pre-operative laryngopharyngeal reflux documented using ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring; and a control group (group B) without laryngopharyngeal reflux. Results: Group A had significantly higher pain scores on the seventh and 14th post-operative days (p = 0.022 and p = 0.000, respectively) and took a significantly longer time to return to normal eating (p = 0.013), compared with group B. Group A also showed significantly slower healing on the seventh and 14th post-operative days, as estimated by assessing the grade of post-operative slough formation (p = 0.016 and p = 0.029, respectively). A significant correlation between the number of pharyngeal reflux episodes and the degree of post-operative slough was also found. Conclusions: Laryngopharyngeal reflux can significantly decrease wound healing following tonsillectomy. Therefore, pre-operative recognition and management of this condition is desirable in order to eliminate its negative post-operative effect.