January 31, 2007
Children who have their tonsils and adenoids removed to alleviate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms may not get the response they hope for, according to a Reuters report. Citing a Journal of Pediatrics study, the report says that only about one quarter of children who go through the procedure experience a significant reaction.
In the study of 110 children, lead researcher Dr David Gozal and colleagues found that 25% of the children had one or no breathing interruptions per hour of sleep after the surgery, 46% had as many as four interruptions per hour, and 29% had five or more breathing interruptions.
In response to the study results, Gozal stressed the importance of follow-up sleep studies. “It is important, and particularly so in more severe cases or in the presence of obesity, to repeat the sleep study after surgery to identify those children who may need additional interventions,” he told Reuters.
