Tonsil Surgery Evaluated by Otolaryngologists with Special Reference to Postoperative Complications

The number of tonsillectomies, involving children has decreased and those involving adult dense peritonsillar adhesions has increased. Tonsil surgery is generally the first basic procedure an otolaryngologist learns and conducts alone. Since tonsil operations are numerous, the postoperative course is fairly constant, and the clinical path is easily applicable, otolaryngologists must master this basic procedure as a minimum for general hospital surgery and otolaryngology department management. While serious complications rare, we report the case of an 18-year-old woman who developed a pulmonary embolism the morning after bilateral tonsillectomy. We conducted an aggregate analysis of tonsil surgeries by otolaryngologists and the incidence of postoperative complications.