Effects of surgery on pediatric sleep-disordered breathing

A clinical trial funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has found that surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids in children with snoring and mild breathing problems during sleep can improve their quality of life a year after surgery. The first large, randomized, year-long trial addressing the effects of adenotonsillectomy on children with mild sleep-disordered breathing involved 459 pediatric participants, aged 3-12. Half of the participants underwent adenotonsillectomy, while the other half received supportive care without surgery, including education on healthy sleep and lifestyle and referral for untreated allergies or asthma. Both surgery and supportive care groups showed improved cognition and attention, but the surgery group demonstrated additional benefits such as reduced daytime sleepiness, improved sleep quality, lower blood pressure, fewer behavioral problems, and a lower likelihood of progressing to sleep apnea. The researchers plan to continue investigating the long-term impacts of surgery in this population.

Source: asamonitor.pub/48FGiAs