[Hemorrhage following tonsillectomy: analysis of the prevalence and risk factors].

The objective of the present study was to analyse the modern literature concerning the prevalence of hemorrhage following tonsillectomy (TE) and the factors responsible for its development. Chronic tonsillitis affects from 4% to 15% of the general population and accounts for 23.7% of all pharyngeal disorders. Despite the significant decrease in the frequency of TE during the last years, it remains a most popular surgical procedure in otorhinolaryngological clinics all over the world. Hemorrhage is the most frequent complication of TE registered in 2.5% to 9.2% of the patients on the average, with early (primary) hemorrhages occurring more frequently than late ones as shown in the majority of the studies. The possible risk factors of postoperative hemorrhage are described. The significance of some of these factors (male sex, age, surgeon's experience, surgical technique,techniques of intraoperative hemostasis, elevated arterial pressure) is estimated based on the analysis of results of many relevant studies; their influence on the frequency of hemorrhage following tonsillectomy is fairly well confirmed. The effects of other factors, such as the season, whether conditions at the time of TE, duration of surgery, smoking, etc. are hypothetical.