No association between obesity and post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide. The impact of overweight on post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rates in children and adults is unclear.


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
Overweight or obesity did not increase the risk of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage in either children or adults.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Medical University Innsbruck,Austria.
H
H
Riechelmann
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Medical University Innsbruck,Austria.
E C
EC
Blassnigg
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Medical University Innsbruck,Austria.
C
C
Profanter
College of Education Edith Stein,Stams,Austria.
K
K
Greier
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Medical University Innsbruck,Austria.
F
F
Kral
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Medical University Innsbruck,Austria.
B
B
Bender
D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D015995:Prevalence; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult