Objective: To compare the post tonsillectomy bleeding rates which need to control under general anesthesia after tonsillectomies performed by using bipolar cautery and blunt dissection technic.

Materials and Method: The charts of 397 patients who undergone tonsillectomy between January 2008 and February 2010 were evaluated retrospectively and the patients with post tonsillectomy bleeding which need to control under general anesthesia were determined. Post tonsillectomy bleeding rates which need to control general anesthesia in groups that performed two different tonsillectomy technics were compared with chi-square test.

Results: 222 (55.9 %) man and 175 (44.1 %) women patients were included to the study, 59 (14.8%) were over and 338 (85.2 %) were under 16 years old. While 188 (47.3 %) patients were operated by bipolar cautery tonsillectomy, 209 (52.7%) patients were operated by blunt dissection tonsillectomy. In 1 patient, (0.5 %) who underwent tonsillectomy by bipolar cautery was need to control for post tonsillectomy bleeding under general anesthesia. In 7 patients, (3.3%) who underwent tonsillectomy by blunt dissection was need to control for post tonsillectomy bleeding under general anesthesia. While the post tonsillectomy bleeding happened on postoperative first day in 4 of 8 patients (50%), in the other 4 of 8 patients (50 %), post tonsillectomy bleeding happened on postoperative between 7-14 days who need to control of bleeding. All of patients who need to control of bleeding under general anesthesia were under 16 years old.

Conclusion: We found no statistically significant difference for post tonsillectomy bleeding probability between bipolar cautery tonsillectomy