Survey of postoperative hemorrhage after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in children

Introduction: Tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy, is the most common surgical operations which is performing in the field of ear, pharynx and nose. The most common serious complication following tonsillectomy is postoprative hemorrhage that it could threat patient’s life and occurs intraoperatively, immediate postoperatively (within 24 hours post-operation) or delayed (24 hours after operation). Materials and Methods: The current survey was a cross- sectional study, which performed according to the records of patients who had an adenotonsillectomy and involved with hemorrhage after the surgery in Tabriz children hospital from April 1999 to June 2002. In addition, the patients were needed for a surgery with general anesthesia to control the hemorrhage. Results: Postoperative hemorrhage was observed in 17 out of total 1107 patients (1.53%) and the most common indication of surgery was both infective and obstructive causes. 94.1% of these patients involved with primary hemorrhage and the cause of hemorrhage was disorder in hemostasis in 70.6 % of patients. The most common ages of hemorrhage was 8 and 12. Conclusion: By establishment of exact hemostasis following surgery and the control of tansillar fossa and nasopharynx for remaining tissues, hemorrhage could be decreased. In addition, the rate of mortalily after surgery could be significantly decreased by the control of patients for the first 24 hours after surgery, that it says, the control of vital signs and tonsillar fossa for probability of hemorrhage and its treatment.