McMaster Children's Hospital is halting tonsil and adenoid surgeries after two children died following the procedures.HO/The Canadian Press
A Hamilton pediatric hospital has stopped performing scheduled tonsil and adenoid surgeries pending an external review after the deaths of two children.
The decision Tuesday by McMaster Children’s Hospital is “out of an abundance of caution” because the two patients died after they were discharged following the procedures, according to a statement by Hamilton Health Sciences.
Officials also announced a “comprehensive review by external subject matter experts” of the hospital’s pediatric tonsil and adenoid surgical program, but said there is “no apparent connection between these two cases,” says the statement released on Wednesday.
“We recognize that this is a difficult message for our patients and families. Patient safety is the most important priority at our hospital and we will only resume scheduled surgeries once the review is complete,” it says.
One of the children died earlier this month and the other passed away in May, said Wendy Stewart, a Hamilton Health Sciences spokeswoman. One child died the day after their procedure and the second died nine days after their initial surgery.
Ms. Stewart declined to provide the children’s ages or causes of death, citing privacy reasons.
“We want to extend our deepest condolences to these families,” the statement says.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones said her heart goes out to the families, according to spokeswoman Hannah Jensen.
“Our thoughts are with them as they navigate this challenging time,” Ms. Jensen said in an e-mail.
During the review of McMaster Children’s Hospital’s tonsil and adenoid surgical program, only emergency operations will proceed, the statement said. The hospital network’s adult ear, nose and throat surgeries are not affected.
The removal of the tonsils and adenoids, which are located at the back of the throat and nose and are part of the immune system, is one of the most common pediatric operations. The procedure is typically performed as day surgery on children with sleep-disordered breathing or frequent infections.
Deaths of children after tonsil removal surgery is rare.
A 2022 study in the journal JAMA found the postoperative death rate was seven per 100,000 operations overall. Among kids with complex chronic conditions, the rate was 117 per 100,000 procedures. The research involved more than 500,000 children who had tonsillectomies between 2005 and 2017 in five U.S. states.