Complications of canine tonsillectomy by clamping technique combined with monopolar electrosurgery without suture – a retrospective study of 39 cases

Abstract Background: Canine tonsillectomy is performed due to acute or chronic tonsillitis, neoplasia, trauma or occasionally brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. Several tonsillectomy techniques are used but information about surgical complications is scarce. This retrospective study of patient records at the University Animal Hospital aimed to investigate complications related to canine tonsillectomy performed by 20-minute clamping combined with monopolar electrosurgery.Inclusion criteria were bilateral tonsillectomy performed with “20-minute clamping technique combined with monopolar electrosurgery without suture or ligation”. Exclusion criteria were unilateral tonsillectomy, tonsillar neoplasia, additional surgical procedures other than tonsillectomy and cases where sutures were used initially, cases where tissue sealing only relied on electrosurgery devices or when the technique was unspecified. The search of the patient records of the University Animal Hospital included a 10-year period. Complications that required additional anaesthesia were defined as major complications. Minor complications were handled during surgery or postoperatively without surgical intervention.Results: Of 39 dogs that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 11 dogs had one complication and 1 dog had two complications. Altogether, of the 12 complications, 2 were classified as major complications and 10 as minor.The most frequent complication was bleeding from the surgical site; 10 dogs had one incidence of bleeding and 1 dog bled twice, both intra- and postoperatively. Of these 11 dogs, 7 were intraoperative bleedings and 4 were postoperative. The two dogs with major complications were re-anaesthetized due to post-surgical bleeding. No lethal complications occurred and all dogs survived to discharge.Conclusions: Complications such as bleeding are common during and after surgery for tonsillectomy using a “20-minute clamping technique combined with monopolar electrosurgery without suture”. This tonsillectomy technique is not without risk and revision surgery may be necessary.