Reduced nasal resistance after simple tonsillectomy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
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.
Nakata
Seiichi
S
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. seisay@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Miyazaki
Soichiro
S
Ohki
Motofumi
M
Morinaga
Mami
M
Noda
Akiko
A
Sugiura
Tatsuki
T
Sugiura
Makoto
M
Teranishi
Masaaki
M
Katayama
Naomi
N
Nakashima
Tsutomu
T
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