No association between obesity and post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage

• Published in: Journal of laryngology and otology 2014-05, Vol.128 (5), p.463-467
• Main Authors: Riechelmann, H, Blassnigg, E C, Profanter, C, Greier, K, Kral, F, Bender, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenoidectomy - adverse effects; Adenoidectomy - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Airway management; Anesthesia; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Child; Child, Preschool; Classification; Datasets; Female; Hemorrhage; Hospitals; Humans; Incidence; Main Articles; Male; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - epidemiology; Otolaryngology; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); Overweight; Patients; Postoperative Hemorrhage - epidemiology; Postoperative Hemorrhage - etiology; Postoperative Hemorrhage - surgery; Preschool children; Prevalence; Quality management; Reoperation - statistics & numerical data; Risk Factors; Sleep apnea; Surgery; Tonsillectomy - adverse effects; Tonsillectomy - statistics & numerical data; Tonsillitis - epidemiology; Tonsillitis - surgery; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-2151; 1748-5460
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022215114000863

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide. The impact of overweight on post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rates in children and adults is unclear. Body mass index and post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage were evaluated in all patients treated with tonsillectomy within one year in a tertiary referral centre. Bleeding episodes were categorised according to the Austrian Tonsil Study. Between June 2011 and June 2012, 300 adults and children underwent tonsillectomy. Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage occurred in 55 patients. Of those, 29 were type A (history of blood in saliva only, no active bleeding), 15 were type B (active bleeding, treatment under local anaesthesia) and 11 were type C (active bleeding, treatment under general anaesthesia). The return to operating theatre rate was 3.7 per cent. Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage was more frequent in adolescents and adults than in children. Overweight or obesity was positively correlated with age. Post-tonsillectomy bleeding was recorded in 11.1 per cent of underweight patients, 18.9 per cent of normal weight patients and 18.7 per cent of overweight patients (p = 0.7). Data stratification (according to age and weight) did not alter the post-tonsillectomy bleeding risk (p = 0.8). Overweight or obesity did not increase the risk of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage in either children or adults.