Tonsillectomy in Children Under 3 Years of Age

A retrospective study was performed on 190 children younger than 3 years who underwent tonsillectomy either alone or in combination with other surgical procedures at the Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, over a 5-year period. The average age was 2 years 4 months and average weight was 12.8 kg. The most common indication for surgery was upper airway obstruction with apnea. One hundred sixty-two of 190 patients were discharged on the day following surgery. Complications were seen in 20 (10.5%) patients, 16 requiring prolongation of hospital stay and 4 requiring readmission. However, apart from one child with cerebral palsy who had multiple postoperative complications, no other child required reintubation, blood transfusion, or return to the operating room. It is concluded that age should not be a factor in determining whether or not to proceed with a tonsillectomy.