McMaster pediatric surgery chief says deaths after tonsil surgery 'very rare'

The chief of pediatric surgery at McMaster Children's Hospital says the deaths following tonsil and adenoid surgeries at his hospital are "tragic" and "very rare."

Dr. Devin Peterson spoke Friday in a video posted online — two days after the Hamilton hospital announced two children had died following the procedures and that it was launching an external review.

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Peterson says the hospital is "deeply saddened" and offered "sincere condolences" to the patients' families.

An accompanying statement on the Hamilton Health Sciences' website says one child died the day after their surgery and the other died nine days after having the procedure.

It says McMaster Children's Hospital performed 584 pediatric tonsil and/or adenoid surgeries last year and 5.8 per cent of patients returned to the emergency department after being discharged.

According to the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology, about five per cent of patients bleed after surgery and may need to return to hospital as a result.