Special Interests > Paediatric and Tonsil Surgery

Paediatric and tonsil surgery

A/Prof Carney was involved in his first trial into tonsillectomy techniques as a junior doctor in 1992 and he has maintained his interest in Paediatric ENT and tonsil surgery ever since. Until recently, he was the paediatric liaison ENT surgeon at Flinders. He is one of only a handful of ENT surgeons in Australia offering “subtotal tonsil reduction surgery” (PITA) – a technique that is now performed widely in the USA. He has published widely on tonsillectomy techniques and coordinated the Australian Coblation Tonsillectomy Audit in 2006.

paediatrics

He has appeared on TV, radio and on various discussion panels on Tonsillectomy and currently has 2 research grants for research into adenoid and tonsil disease in children. He routinely uses radiofrequency coblation for both total and sub-total tonsil surgery and believes it minimises post-operative pain in days 1-3 and reduces the risk of primary tonsil haemorrhage. Although he admits the data on secondary bleeding following coblation tonsillectomy is controversial, A/Prof Carney’s personal secondary haemorrhage rates are well below those published in International Audits.

His paper on Tonsillectomy learning-curves, presented at The American Academy of Otolaryngology (USA) in 2007, was summarised on the front page of the meeting newsletter and its conclusions highlighted as one of the important messages originating from the conference.

A/Prof Carney’s Key Paediatric & Tonsillectomy Publications / Presentations:

Publications:

  1. A.S.Carney, N.Patel &R.Clarke (2008) Foreign Bodies in the ear and upper aerodigestive tract in children. In: Scott Brown’s Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery.
  2. S.J.Moralee, A.S.Carney, M.P.Cash and J.A.M.Murray(1994). The effect of fibrin sealant on postoperative pain in tonsillectomy. Clinical Otolaryngology:19;526-528.
  3. S.Arena, A.S.Carney and P-J.Wormald (2000). The use of the harmonic scalpel and post-operative pain following tonsillectomy – A prospective randomised clinical trial. Australian Journal of Oto-laryngology: 3;495-497.
  4. C.Fahy, A.S.Carney, T.Nicolopoulos, C.N.Ludman and K.P.Gibbin (2001). Cochlear implantation in children with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome and a review of  the syndrome. International Journal of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology: 59;207-215
  5. A.Grobbler and A.S.Carney (2006) Radiofrequency coblation tonsillectomy. British Journal of Hospital Medicine. 67:309-12.
  6. N.Polites, S.Joniau, D.Wabnitz, R.Fassina, C.Smythe, P.Varley, A.S.Carney (2006). Postoperative pain following coblation tonsillectomy: randomized clinical trial. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 76:226-9.
  7. A.S.Carney,  P.K.Harris, P.L.MacFarlane, S.Nasser, A.Esterman (2008). The Coblation tonsillectomy learning curve. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery: 138; 149-52.
  8. P.L.MacFarlane, S.Nasser, W.Coman, G.Kiss, P.K.Harris, A.S.Carney (2008). Tonsillectomy in australia: An audit of surgical technique and post-operative care. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery: 138; In press.

Presentations:

  1. S.J.Moralee, A.S.Carney, M.P.Cash and J.A.M.Murray (1994) The effect of fibrin sealant on postoperative pain in adult tonsillectomy. - Scottish Otolaryngological Society.
  2. C.Fahy, A.S.Carney, T.Nicolopoulos and K.P.Gibbin (2000) Paediatric cochlear implantation in large vestibular aqueduct syndrome, - 3rd International Symposium on Electronic Implants in Otology. Birmingham.
  3. A.S.Carney (2007). Tonsillectomy controversies. ASO-HNS Annual Meeting, Adelaide.
  4. A.S.Carney, G.Kiss, P.Harris, S.J.Nasser (2007) The Coblation Tonsillectomy Learning Curve. American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Washington DC.
  5. P.K.Harris, D.J.Hussey, G.C.Mayne, A.Bradshaw, LW Tan, P-J.Wormald, A.S.Carney (2008) The role of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease in children with adenoid hyperplasia. ASO-HNS Annual Meeting, Perth.