30 children underwent private surgeries and suffered severe bleeding

Thirty-two children have arrived at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna with severe or life-threatening bleeding after throat operations since April 2020. In one case, a child arrived while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in cardiac arrest after a system collapse. Six children required emergency blood transfusions.

The cases occurred between April 2020 and April 2026. Doctors had to stop the bleeding under anesthesia on every occasion. In 20 cases, the children were so seriously affected that ambulances alerted the hospital before arrival. Twenty of the children were between 0 and 6 years old.

Healthcare providers failed to follow national guidelines in half of the cases. Every operation involving a breach of the guidelines took place at a private clinic operating within Stockholm Region’s ear, nose and throat care-choice system. The data on the most serious incidents were documented by Stockholm’s health and medical care administration and compiled by Caroline Gahm, a former regional medical expert in ear, nose and throat diseases.

Gahm told the administration that the children may have faced unnecessary risks. She said patient-safety facts must come to light and that the child’s perspective must remain central. Gahm, a senior consultant and specialist in ear, nose and throat surgery at Karolinska, has personally treated children admitted with bleeding complications.

The compilation supports proposed changes to the care-choice system. Introduced in 2012, the system moved many operations involving otherwise healthy children to private providers outside hospitals. A proposal presented to politicians in January would move tonsil surgery, tongue-tie procedures and surgery for protruding ears in children aged 0 to 6 to acute-care hospitals for patient-safety reasons. The changes form part of a broader plan to make healthcare more equal and driven by need, but the Centre Party is slowing the issue.

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It is important that facts about patient safety come to light. The child’s perspective must be preserved. Everyone providing healthcare must follow the Health and Medical Services Act.