Effect of intracapsular tonsillectomy on quality of life for children with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the change in disease-specific quality of life (QOL) in pediatric patients with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) secondary to adenotonsillar hypertrophy after powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.


METHODS
Prospective outcomes study.


METHODS
Hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practice.


METHODS
Fifty children with a mean age of 4.5 years who had a clinical diagnosis of OSDB.


METHODS
A caregiver of qualifying patients completed a validated QOL survey of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, the OSA-18 (Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18), preoperatively and 3 months and 1 year postoperatively.


METHODS
The OSA-18 mean change scores.


RESULTS
The mean (SD) total OSA-18 change score at the 3-month follow-up visit was 2.3 (1.2) and at the 1 year follow-up visit was 2.2 (1.3). The total and individual domain change scores were significantly improved at both postoperative intervals (P<.001 for all). There were no significant changes in the total or domain change scores between the intervals. The total change score was not significantly associated with either tonsil size or tonsil position.


CONCLUSIONS
The OSDB-related QOL is significantly improved after powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, and this improvement remains stable even after 1 year.
Colen
Tahl Y
TY
Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
Seidman
Carly
C
Weedon
Jeremy
J
Goldstein
Nira A
NA
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome