Immediate abscess tonsillectomy--a safe procedure?

OBJECTIVE: Peritonsillar abscess is the most common infection involving deep neck planes to be treated by otolaryngologists with varying management strategies. In some countries, like Japan, immediate tonsillectomy is considered only for selected cases due to the risk of post-operative complications. Post-tonsillectomy bleeding is considered as the major complication following surgery and serves as a landmark for the safety of the operation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if there is an increased risk of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage following immediate tonsillectomy in non-selected patients.
METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 6329 patients who underwent tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy, in St. Anna Hospital, Duisburg, between January 1988 and August 2000 to evaluate the complication rate following 1481 immediate tonsillectomies (group A) compared to 4848 patients who underwent elective tonsillectomy (group B). 56.9% (group A) were male, the youngest patient was 18 months, the oldest 87 years old. Patients of group B were younger in general (mean age: 18.7 vs. 32.9 years), 49.9% were male, between 5 months and 93 years of age. Patients of both groups underwent surgery under general anaesthesia and were observed for 6 days. The incidence of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage in both groups was compared using chi(2)-test, the age distribution was compared by Mann-Whitney U-test.
RESULTS: Bleeding occurred in 43 patients of group A (2.9%) and 138 patients (2.8%) of group B. Excessive bleeding requiring ligature of the external carotid artery became necessary in one patient of group A (0.13%) and four patients of group B (0.08%). A 42-month-old patient (group B) died due massive haemorrhage at home 6 days after surgery. The latest bleeding occurred 12 (group B) and 13 days (group A) after surgery. Statistical evaluation (Pearson chi(2)-test P=0.908) shows no significant difference of post-operative bleeding between the compared groups. Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage occurred with statistical significance (P<0.001) in elder patients after immediate tonsillectomy.
CONCLUSIONS: We conclude, that immediate tonsillectomy can be recommended as a safe surgical procedure in non-selected patients to evacuate quinsy without an additional risk of bleeding thus making a second hospital stay unnecessary.