Post-Tonsillectomy and -Adenoidectomy Hemorrhage in Nonselected Patients

This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence of hemorrhage in nonselected patients requiring surgical treatment after adenoidectomy (group 1; 7,785 patients) or tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy (group 2; 6,794 patients). Postoperative bleeding from the tonsillar fossae occurred in 200 patients (2.94%). Primary hemorrhage (< 24 hours) clearly prevailed in groups 1 (86%) and 2 (78%). There was 1 case with a lethal outcome following tonsillectomy (0.007%). Bleeding from the epipharynx occurred in 17 patients of group 1 (0.21%). A total of 5 patients received blood transfusions, all of them belonging to group 2 (0.07%). The latest bleeding occurred 6 days (adenoidectomy) and 18 days (tonsillectomy) after surgery. Hemorrhage following both procedures is a rare complication predominantly occurring several hours after surgery and in nonselected patients. Male gender, age over 70 years, infectious mononucleosis, and a history of recurrent tonsillitis were found to be risk factors for posttonsillectomy hemorrhage.