Does suturing tonsil pillars post-tonsillectomy reduce postoperative hemorrhage?: A literature review

Abstract

Objective: Literature review comparing post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage in pediatric and adult patients with and without suturing tonsil pillars to investigate whether suturing tonsil pillars reduces the risk of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage.

Review methods: Online journal databases were searched using the key phrases "post tonsillectomy hemorrhage", "post tonsillectomy bleed", and "tonsil pillar suture". 10 published studies were found regarding tonsil pillar suturing, four directly related to postoperative bleeding and five focusing on postoperative pain reduction. There was one study that evaluated both pain and bleeding. The pain reduction studies were comprised of 225 patients while the postoperative bleeding studies included 3987 patients.

Conclusions: Suturing tonsil pillars after tonsillectomy may be beneficial after cold tonsillectomy.

Implications for practice: Post-operative bleeding is one of the most common complications that can result in increased patient distress and hospitalization. In this article, we provide a literature review of tonsil pillar suturing and post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. Our study suggests suturing the tonsil pillars immediately post-tonsillectomy may reduce the risk of severe post-operative bleeding requiring return to the operating room for certain patients.

Keywords: Post tonsillectomy hemorrhage; Suturing; Tonsil pillars.