2024 Volume 70 Issue 1 Pages 1-8
Postoperative bleeding in tonsillectomy is one of the most serious complications, as it can cause airway obstruction and is sometimes fatal. In 176 patients who underwent bilateral tonsillectomy at our department, we investigated the rate and timing of postoperative bleeding and risk factors. Risk factors included the primary disease, age, sex, smoking history, history of hypertension or diabetes, use of anticoagulant/ antiplatelet drugs, peripheral blood platelet count, history of peritonsillar abscess, ligation, adhesion, and operative time. Postoperative bleeding occurred in 53 patients (30.1％). Among them, 5 cases (2.8％) required hemostasis under general anesthesia. Regarding the risk factors for postoperative bleeding, only the operation time was found to be significantly related, and postoperative bleeding was found to be particularly frequent when the operation time was ≥90 minutes.
