Abstract

Background: Tonsillectomy is one of the most common worldwide surgical operations performed by otolaryngologists. The present study aims to determine the main risk factors of post tonsillectomy hemorrhage.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Al Jaber Hospital in Al-Ahsaa, Eastern and province of Saudi Arabia from November 8 to 22, 2019. The study included patients who had had a tonsillectomy and had a postoperative complaint of bleeding from the operative site within 14 days. Patients with precipitating bleeding risk factors were ruled out. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyse the data statistically using the Chi-square test. The p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be significant.
Results: A total of 37 patients who underwent tonsillectomy were contacted to fill the questioner; however, 25 patients developed Post-tonsillectomy Hemorrhage. Among the studied subjects, 57.9% were male and 39.5% were female. Furthermore, 84% of the participants were below 20 years of age.
Conclusion: Further studies needed to be conducted with a larger sample size and in multi-centers to determine accurately the main risk factors and to establish preventive measures and protocols to increase the safety profile of tonsillectomy.

Key words: Post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage, risk factors, tonsillectomy