Life-threatening complications in tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are rare, and generally produce a catastrophic hemorrhagic and respiratory complication. Post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage remains an important factor in determining the safety of performing tonsillectomy as an outpatient procedure. An awareness of these factors can help identify potential postoperative bleeders. The frequently performed determination of routine coagulation parameters (aPTT, PT, PLC) is not able to reliably identify relevant coagulation disorders or to predict the risk of postoperative hemorrhagic complications after adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy. In this case report, we discuss the risk factors for postoperative bleeding in pediatric patients.
Keywords: Bleeding, coagulation tests, tonsillectomy