title: Quality of life after adenotonsillectomy in children with obstructive sleep apnea: short-term and long-term results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess short-term and long-term changes in quality of life after adenotonsillectomy (T&A) in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 2-18 years old were enrolled. All subjects had clinical symptoms, overnight polysomnography diagnosis of OSA, and received T&A as treatment. Caregivers were asked to complete the OSA-18 survey before surgery, within 6 months after surgery (short-term), and more than 6 months after surgery (long-term).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 114 children were included (mean age, 7.0±3.5 years; 75% boys). The mean OSA-18 total score was 71.5±16.0 before surgery. After surgery, the mean OSA-18 total score was significantly decreased in both the short-term (40.3±12.2, p<0.001) and the long-term (42.0±13.7, p<0.001). All five OSA-18 domains were also significantly decreased during short-term and long-term postoperative follow up (p<0.001). Short-term and long-term outcomes were compared. Mean OSA-18 total scores, sleep disturbance score, emotional distress score, daytime function score, and caregiver concerns score did not differ significantly between the short-term and long-term periods, while the physical symptom score was slightly higher in the long-term than the short-term period (9.7±3.3 vs. 8.7±3.0, p=0.02). Additionally, the physical symptoms score was higher in the long-term period in the female (p=0.01), older age (>6 years) (p=0.03), and non-obese (p=0.04) subgroups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T&A improves short-term and long-term quality of life in children with OSA. Nevertheless, caregivers observed children with aggravation of physical symptoms of quality of life during long-term follow up, especially in the female, older, and non-obese subgroups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hsuan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kun-Tai
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Sleep Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chin
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Sleep Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Sleep Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: hsuwc@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Wei-Chung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery*; D014068:Tonsillectomy
keywords: Adenoidectomy; Child; Polysomnography; Quality of Life; Sleep apnea syndromes; Tonsillectomy