The impact of adenotonsillectomy surgery on the utilization and cost of health care services.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the impact of tonsillectomy, adenotonsillectomy, and adenotonsillectomy/paracentesis tube surgery on healthcare service utilization and costs. METHODS: Between January 1 and December 31, 2023, 1,084 pediatric patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy at the Otolaryngology clinics of public hospitals in Samsun province were retrospectively reviewed. The frequency of visits to Otolaryngology, pediatric, and emergency departments before and after surgery and the associated costs were compared. RESULTS: The study showed that during the preoperative period, patients frequently visited the hospital for upper respiratory tract infections, tonsillitis, and acute otitis media. In the one-year post-operative period, these visits decreased significantly, with visits to Otolaryngology clinics dropping from 74.7% to 3.9%. In addition, the average annual cost of preoperative visits to health care facilities was $12.30, while the average annual cost of postoperative visits decreased to $4.40. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of visits and costs between the preoperative and postoperative periods (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention in pediatric patients has been shown to significantly reduce the rate of healthcare utilization and, consequently, costs. These data support the health economic effectiveness of tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy.