title: Reduced nasal resistance after simple tonsillectomy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of simple tonsillectomy on nasal resistance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Conventional tonsillectomy was performed in 20 patients who were refractory to treatment with continuous positive airway pressure. The subjects consisted of 17 men and 3 women (mean age, 32.9 +/-6.3 years). The effects of tonsillectomy were evaluated with preoperative and postoperative polysomnography and nasal resistance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After tonsillectomy, nasal resistance decreased significantly from 0.39+/-0.30 Pa/cm(3) per second to 0.27 +/-0.16 Pa/cm(3) per second (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, the apnea-hypopnea index decreased significantly from 55.7 +/-22.5 to 21.2 +/-14.2 (p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between tonsillar weight and percentage of change in bilateral nasal resistance (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduction in nasal resistance induced by simple tonsillectomy could play an important role in improving OSAS, as does nasal surgery or adenotomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. seisay@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Motofumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohki
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morinaga
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Tatsuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teranishi
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakashima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000403:Airway Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025363:Rhinomanometry; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome