The methodology for this research consisted of an in-depth systematic review, complemented by a meta-analysis, focused on the effectiveness of honey used as a treatment for postoperative pain and wound healing following tonsillectomy. Following the independent exploration of database records, including MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases, by two authors, studies that compared postoperative oral administration of honey to placebo were pinpointed, with the outcomes of interest being pain and wound healing on post-operative days. Criteria for data extraction included baseline study characteristics, study quality, patient numbers in honey-treated and control groups, and outcomes of treatment. Across the selected 4 trials, a total of 264 patients provided sufficient data for conducting the meta-analysis.

Discussion of the research findings revealed that the honey-treated group experienced a significant decrease in pain during postoperative day 1, in comparison to the placebo-treated group, as rated by patient-reported pain scores. The analgesic intake for the honey-treated group during the first five days after the operation was also markedly reduced compared to that of the placebo-treated group. Moreover, significantly enhanced wound healing was observed two weeks post-operation for the patients treated with honey compared to those given a placebo.