Tonsillectomy Complication More Worrisome In Adults than in Children

Dear Ask The Doctor: I was requested by my instructor to research this question.Why tonsillectomy in a child is less likely to involve complications than the same procedure for an adult?

Complications after tonsillectomy can cause massive bleeding from the post-operative wound, which can happen 1-2 weeks after the surgery. In 1-2 weeks post-tonsillectomy, healing usually occurs. When a scab is accidentally removed, it may cause massive bleeding (since there are blood vessels reforming under the scab). In adults, the risk is ~1-3% higher simply because they have bigger and more numerous blood vessels as compared to children. I hope this helps.