Anesthetic Management Of Post Tonsillectomy Hemorrhage In The Patient With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Obstuctive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disease which could have potential risk for sleep apnea. Patients with this disease often have intermittent and iterative upper airway obstruction which could make the shortage of breath or no respirations, thus leading to multiple organ disfuction. Patients with OSAS often die of ischemic cardiac disease and chronic respiratory failure. Tonsillectomy is one of many surgical treatments which could improve the narrow cavitas pharyngis. As a one of the common complications of tonsillectomy, postoperative hemorrhage could bring a difficult airway which is unique to even the most experienced anesthetist. We present eight patients with post operative hemorrhage after tonsillectomy since 2005 in our hospital. Combined with the literature review, the anesthetic management of the patients with OSAS and the management of post tonsillectomy hemorrhage are discussed in this article.