Deaths from tonsillectomy and adenotomy.

Background: Postoperative hemorrhage after tonsillectomy and adenotomy is r ather frequent, The time of its appearance is unpredictable. On principle t hese patients are at vital risk. Methods: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze the cases of 7 patients who died after surgery and to develop strategies for avoidance using complete forensic reports. Result s: In three cases the cause of death was hemorrhage. One child had massive bleeding on the 9th postoperative day after demission. Two patients had an infectious complication of the lung and the heart respectively. One patient suffering from a severe cardiac defect suffered heart failure after surger y. In one case the cause of death remains unclear. Conclusion: In order to avoid lethal complications after tonsillectomy and adenotomy, patients requ ire thorough postoperative surveillance by the anaesthetist and the ENT sur geon. The risk of severe bleeding 9 days post-operatively emphasizes the ne ed for long-term hospitalization of these patients.