Tonsillectomy in children under 3 years of age

A retrospective study was performed on 190 children younger than 3 years who underwent tonsillectomy either alone or in combination with other surgical procedures at the Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, over a 5-year period. The average age was 2 years 4 months and average weight was 12.8 kg. The most common indication for surgery was upper airway obstruction with apnea. One hundred sixty-two of 190 patients were discharged on the day following surgery. Complications were seen in 20 (10.5%) patients, 16 requiring prolongation of hospital stay and 4 requiring readmission. However, apart from one child with cerebral palsy who had multiple post-operative complications, no other child required reintubation, blood transfusion, or return to the operating room. It is concluded that age should not be a factor in determining whether or not to proceed with a tonsillectomy.