A view of the McMaster Children's Hospital is seen in Hamilton in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Hamilton Health Sciences,
The head of pediatric surgery at McMaster Children's Hospital expressed deep sadness over the deaths of two children post-tonsil and adenoid surgeries, labeling the incidents as "tragic" and "extremely uncommon." Dr. Devin Peterson conveyed condolences to the families via an online video following the hospital's announcement of the deaths and initiation of an external review.
One child passed away the day after the surgery, while the other died nine days post-procedure. McMaster Children's Hospital halted all non-emergency pediatric tonsil and adenoid surgeries pending the completion of the external review.
Dr. Peterson emphasized the hospital's commitment to pediatric care and underscored the gravity of the situation. The Canadian Society of Otolaryngology indicates that approximately five percent of patients experience bleeding after such surgeries, necessitating potential hospital readmission. Tonsillectomy is categorized as major surgery, with bleeding identified as the primary risk.
The society further notes that most bleeds occur within seven to 10 days following surgery, although occurrences as late as 17 days post-surgery are rare. McMaster Children's Hospital conducted 584 pediatric tonsil and/or adenoid surgeries last year, with 5.8 percent of patients returning to the emergency department after discharge, as per Hamilton Health Sciences' website. Recently, the Hamilton Spectator reported on another child who underwent tonsil and adenoid surgery at the hospital in May, experiencing post-operative complications.
The child, an eight-year-old girl, began vomiting blood the morning after the procedure and was discharged a few hours later. She subsequently became critically ill and was admitted to the intensive care unit, according to her grandfather, Dr. Stephen List. While she survived, she has not fully recovered. Hamilton Health Sciences responded to queries from The Canadian Press, stating that patient care decisions, including discharge timing after surgery, are determined by the clinical expertise of the care team, standard clinical guidelines, patient appropriateness and safety, and with family consent.
Clinical guidelines advise keeping patients younger than three years or those with severe obstructive sleep apnea overnight for monitoring post-tonsil and/or adenoid surgery. However, for most other children, discharge on the same day is typical following adherence to safe discharge criteria.
