Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) for the Treatment of Pediatric Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy: Preliminary Results

Saturday, October 11, 2025

10:06 AM - 10:12 AM EDT

Location: 233-234

Disclosure(s):

Ulugbek S. Khasanov, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Ari DeRowe, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a new technology of non-thermal tissue ablation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and effect of IRE technology on the treatment of adenotonsillar hypertrophy in children

Methods: In a prospective, before and after procedure, performed in an academic medical center, 12 children aged 5 to 13 years with adenoid or adeno-tonsillar hypertrophy were included in the study. Six patients underwent adenotonsillar ablation and 6 adenoid ablation. The procedure was performed under general anesthesia. IRE was applied to the tonsils and adenoids using the ENTire TM system. Postoperative pain was assessed daily for one week using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale. Improvement in quality-of-life parameters were evaluated using the Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA-18) questionnaire and the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire - Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder (PSQ-SRBD) questionnaire at baseline and 1-month post-procedure. Tonsillar size was assessed using the Brodsky grading scale

Results: Procedure time took less than a minute per tonsil with no intra or post operative bleeding. Postoperative pain on the first day ranged from 2 to 5 (mean ± SD 3.0 ± 0.95) and was reduced to 0 (no pain) in all patients by day 7. At baseline, OSA-18 score ranged from 3.0 to 5.2 (mean 4.11 ±0.59 SD). PSQ-SRBD score range was 0.55 to 0.86 (mean 0.60 ±0.11 SD) and the Brodsky grade was 3.2 ± 0.4. At 1 month, OSA-18 score reduced to a range of 1.0 to 1.22 (mean 1.04 ±0.07 SD); p< 0.001. The PSQ-SRBD score reduced to a range of 0.00 to 0.09 (mean 0.04 ± 0.04 SD); p< 0.001. In the 6 patients that underwent tonsillar ablation the Brodsky scale decreased to 1.3 ± 0.5 (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: This preliminary study is the first to investigate the use of IRE technology for non-thermal adenotonsillar tissue ablation in pediatric patients. The procedure was short and relatively less painful than standard treatment. No bleeding occurred and in the short-term tonsillar size was reduced and clinical scoring of obstructive symptoms improved. Further multi-center clinical trials with long-term follow up are underway.

Presenting Author(s)

UK

Ulugbek S. Khasanov, MD

Director
Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Center of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Diseases
Tashkent, Toshkent, Uzbekistan

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Senior Author(s)

UK

Ulugbek S. Khasanov, MD

Director
Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Center of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Diseases
Tashkent, Toshkent, Uzbekistan

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Co-Author(s)

UV

Ulugbek Nuridinovich Vokhidov, MD

Deputy Director
Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Center of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Diseases
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Disclosure information not submitted.
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Зухроб Собиржонович 1. Матмуратов, Sr., Доктор медицины

Докладываю
Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Center of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Diseases
Ташкент, Toshkent Shahri, Uzbekistan

Disclosure information not submitted.
SA

Shakhnoza Saidasilovna Abdurakhimova, MD

Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Center of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Diseases
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Disclosure information not submitted.
Ari DeRowe, MD

Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology Unit
Tel-Aviv University Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Tel Aviv-Yafo, HaMerkaz, Israel

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
DP

Desiderio Passali, MD

University of Siena UNISI · ORL
Siena, Italy

Disclosure information not submitted.