Risk factors for post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage

The risk of operation-requiring postoperative bleeding after abscess tonsillectomy is no different from the risk after elective tonsillectomy. However, the risk is higher for older than for younger patients, both for the whole cohort and for tonsillectomy à chaud.

The objective of the present study was to clarify whether the frequency of postoperative bleeding after tonsillectomy depends on gender, age or type of operation.

Of 1365 patients, 47 (3.4%) needed reoperation for bleeding. Reoperation for bleeding was performed in 4.0% cases after tonsillectomy à chaud, and in 3.3% after tonsillectomy à froid.

In a logistical regression analysis there proved to be no links between gender or type of operation. When patients were grouped according to age there was a significant 2.3 times higher risk of operation-requiring postoperative bleeding in patients above 35 than for patients under 35 years. Age dependence was greater for the à chaud group alone. Here, a significant age dependence (p = 0.047) was found, as patients above the age of 40 years were estimated to have a 2.5 times higher risk of operation-requiring postoperative bleeding (2/28) than patients under 40 (9/246).