Sleep Quality and Adenotonsillectomy
March 8, 2018
The Question: Do children with obstructive sleep apnea have an improvement in the quality of their sleep and quality of life after having an adenotonsillectomy?
The Study: All the subjects, 453 children five to ten years old, suffered from obstructive sleep apnea due to enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids. Half underwent removal of their tonsils and adenoids, while the other half were watched with supportive care. All the children underwent an extensive evaluation, including a sleep study (polysomnography) and a number of sleep quality and quality-of-life instruments at the start of the study, and again seven months later.
The Results: The children who underwent the adenotonsillectomy showed improvements in just about every test. The children had improved sleep and a better quality of life.
Comment: No surgery should be taken lightly. If chronically enlarged tonsils and adenoids are interfering with a child’s sleep, resulting in chronic tiredness and other effects, then an adenotonsillectomy may be worth considering.
Read More: Pediatrics, 02/15