Subcutaneous EmphysemaA Complication of Tonsillectomy

Shortly after surgery the patient began to vomit and retch repeatedly, and her temperature rose to 102 F. She was placed on intravenous fluids and antibiotics. On the morning after surgery her left cheek was noted to be swollen, soft, and crepitant, and x-rays showed air to be present in the soft tissues (Fig. 1). After two days the vomiting and retching subsided, and the patient was able to re¬ tain oral food and fluids. The swelling remained unchanged, and no signs of infection appeared. She was disdiarged seven days after surgery, with only slight decrease in size of the left cheek swelling (Fig. 2). By the 11th postoperative day the swelling had disappeared completely, and the patient had no further difficulties. At no time in