Adenotonsillectomy is a common procedure in otorhinolaryngology, and it is recommended for tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy. Hemorrhage is the most common complication of this procedure. In this study, we present the incidence of postoperative hemorrhage following adenotonsillectomy carried out at Hospital Geral de Pirajussara (HGP) and Hospital Estadual de Diadema (HED), whose purpose was to identify cases of bleeding. STUDY DESIGN: Historic transversal cohort. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We analyzed 397 patients who underwent adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy. Adenotonsillectomy represented 91.7% of all surgeries. Patients were aged 2 to 39 years. Preoperative tests were conducted in all patients, with weekly follow-up up to the first month after surgery. RESULTS: 397 surgeries were performed in the hospitals (HGP and HED), 364 adenotonsillectomies (91.7%), 16 tonsillectomies (4.03%) and 17 adenoidectomies (4.28%). There were 5 cases of postoperative bleeding, 3 of which occurred in the early postoperative period and 2 in the middle postoperative period. There were no reports of bleeding in late postoperative period. The incidence of hemorrhage was 1.37% (5 out of 364 cases). CONCLUSION: Postoperative hemorrhage possibly results from poor surgical technique and blood clotting disorder in some patients.
adenoidectomy; tonsillectomy; hemorrhage; bleeding
