A children's hospital Hamilton The company said it had suspended tonsil and adenoid surgeries after two patients died last month.
McMaster Children's Hospital The Maternal and Child Health Hospital (MCH) said it is conducting a comprehensive review of the department’s programmes “out of an abundance of caution” following reports of two patients dying after being discharged from the hospital following tonsil and adenoid-related surgeries.
“One child died the day after surgery and the second died nine days after the initial surgery,” said Wendy Stewart, a spokeswoman for Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS).
“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families.”
The first death occurred in May and the other in early June, Stewart said.
MCH could not confirm any “clear link” between the two cases, but from Tuesday it had suspended tonsil and adenoids surgery for patients under 18 “until a full review of the program is conducted.”
According to Stewart, the outlet is notifying patients and families that scheduled care or surgeries will be impacted.
Latest Health and Medical News
Emailed to you every Sunday.
Emergency surgeries will continue and its ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic remains operational.
“We are working quickly to identify independent, external subject matter experts to support the review and are optimistic that we will be able to commence the review soon,” Stewart said.
“As the review has not yet taken place we cannot speculate on any changes, but we want to reassure the community that we will implement any additional safety measures that may be required.”
MCH said it has performed 47 pediatric tonsil surgeries and 537 pediatric tonsil and adenoid-related surgeries in the past year.
The hospital said only about 11% of children undergoing tonsil surgery and 5% of children undergoing tonsil and adenoid surgery returned to the hospital's emergency room for bleeding-related problems.
There is more to come.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
