Tonsillectomy Question

Chrislynn2003 · Feb 7, 2004

I just starting working in the OR and have seen a few tonsillectomies; they have all been outpatient; it's a very simplified procedure. I don't know what the risk of bleeding postoperatively is, but I would be assured that there is usually minimal bleeding and this has been on mostly adult patients.

Christine

pghfoxfan · Feb 7, 2004

If I recall, the time to watch for bleeding was 10 days post op.

kyti · Feb 7, 2004

Children are almost always outpt. Adults occ. stay overnight for pain control. The few bleeder we have had were 12-24 hours post-op.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Feb 7, 2004

Thank you for the info! I am not very familiar with this and textbook information is sketchy. :kiss

Jocie · Feb 8, 2004

I'm a nursing student and i'm not forsure through nursing school but my boyfriend just had his out. He is 21 and it was Two weeks and he had postop bleeding. Not a hemorrhage because he didn't lose to much cause we got it to stop with gargling ice water. But it did bleed two weeks after the surgery.

Jocie

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Feb 8, 2004

My stepson had a tonsillectomy at age 25. His first episode of bleeding was day 5 or 6. He went in to ER, had it cauterized. Second time about 4 days later, he went back to ER, they didn't seem to understand the potentials of post-op bleeding, and he sat in the waiting room for a couple of hours or so. Finally made it into a room, and promptly threw up blood all over the doc (good gag reflex). He was taken back to OR, and had to be transfused as he had lost so much blood.

I think it's when the scabs come off that people have problems. I used to work peds ambulatory care, with adult overnight stays as well. It was always important to let them know about the potential for bleeding problems....and don't swallow the blood! :nono:

Mrs.Yost · Feb 8, 2004

I had my tonsils out last year at 27. I was outpatient. I did not have any bleeding at all afterwards but was told to watch for bleeding around day 10 post op.

jaimealmostRN · Feb 8, 2004

I'm not positive this is exactly true with adults, but in peds the biggest risk for hemorrage occurs immediately post-op/1st 24 hrs after surgery and when the sutures come out (usually 2 wks if I remember correctly.) But the first 24hrs after a surgery is usually the most risky time.

nurseygrrl, LPN · Feb 8, 2004

I had my tonsils out at 26. I had post op bleeding exactly 2 weeks to the day after my surgery. The doc said that is VERY common. It's also scary as hell! :eek: I went to the ER, but it had stopped on it's own by then thankfully. I never heard of gargling with ice water. That's a great idea. My surgery was outpatient. I was only there for about an hour after my surgery. It's the standard "If you can eat, breathe, drink, pee, and walk halfway normally, then you can go home". It wasn't a fun experience at all, but I'm glad I did it because I'm not sick every 5 minutes like I used to be!