Possible risk factors affecting bleeding after tonsillectomy

Bleeding after tonsillectomy (BAT) is still a common and life-threatening emergency complication. Knowing the factors that cause bleeding may be helpful in preventing bleeding. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of bleeding after tonsillectomy performed in our clinic and to determine the risk factors for this complication. Medical records of patients who underwent tonsillectomy in our clinic between January 2013 and December 2018 were followed up and treated for BAT. All patients were evaluated in terms of age, sex, operative method and severity of bleeding. A total of 776 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 11.7 ± 12 years, of which 624 (80.4%) were children and 152 (19.6%) were adults. The incidence of BAT was higher in adults (7.8%) than in children (0.14%). There was no significant relationship between the cause of operation, preoperative hemoglobin, platelet (plt), inr level and tonsil degree (level 0,1,2,3,4). It should be taken into consideration that the bleeding at an advanced age is increased after tonsillectomy