Post-tonsillectomy dietary advice: systematic review

Abstract

AbstractObjective:To determine if there is evidence that post-tonsillectomy dietary advice affects post-operative morbidity.Method:A systematic review was conducted of Embase, Medline, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and PsycInfo, to November 2014.Results:Seventeen articles were included; their heterogeneous nature prevented meta-analysis. Of these, all three small, randomised studies showed no statistical difference in morbidity between restricted and non-restricted diets.Conclusion:Most post-tonsillectomy dietary advice is based on historical anecdotes and not rigorous scientific testing. The existing small-scale, randomised studies show no statistical difference in morbidity between non-restricted and restricted diets.