Treatment Of Pediatric Sleep Apnea Research Articles

Intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for the treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome

To report the findings of five years' experience using standardized coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy with adenoidectomy for treatment of pediatric sleep apnea. Case series. A five-year retrospective analysis of coblation tonsillectomy performed by a single department for sleep apnea was completed. A total of 159 tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) cases performed with coblation technique were reviewed. The mean preoperative apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 17.8 and mean postoperative AHI was 3.3. Polysomnogram (PSG) normalization (AHI < 1), was achieved in 54.7% patients. Normalization of PSG data was achieved in only 42.2% of overweight patients (body mass index [BMI] >or= 85th percentile). Based on regression analysis, Friedman tongue position (III and IV) and elevated AHI were determined to be independent predictors of poor response to T&A. Contrary to popular belief, a review of 159 cases demonstrates that T&A does not always result in normalization of polysomnographic data. Although complete resolution is not achieved in most cases, T&A offers significant improvements in AHI. Predictive variables such as BMI, FTP, and AHI should be taken into account when designing a treatment plan. It is important to recognize the need for close follow-up and early detection of residual disease in the pediatric population.

Does Adenotonsillectomy Cure Pediatric Sleep Apnea?

Objective 1) Perform an updated meta-analysis to determine the cure rate of adenotonsillectomy for pediatric sleep apnea. 2) Report the findings of 5 years of experience with standardized coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy for the treatment of pediatric sleep apnea. Methods A thorough literature search of multiple databases was performed. Inclusion criteria for studies were: 1) Adenotonsillectomy as the primary treatment of sleep apnea (age&lt;18). 2) Pre-and postoperative polysomnography data was included. 20 studies fit the inclusion criteria and a metaanalysis was performed to determine the overall success. A 5–year retrospective analysis of coblation tonsillectomy performed by a single surgeon for sleep apnea was also performed. Results The meta-analysis included 904 subjects with average follow-up time of 21.6 weeks. The effect measure was the percentage of pediatric patients with OSAHS who were successfully treated (k= 20 studies) with T/A based on pre-and postoperative PSG data. Random-effects model estimated the treatment success of adenotonsillectomy was 61.1%. When “cure” was defined as an AHI of &lt;1, the cure rate was 53.8%. 200 adenotonsillectomy cases performed with coblation technique were reviewed. The mean preoperative was AHI 28.3 and mean postoperative AHI was 3.8. Surgical cure, as defined as a postoperative AHI &lt;1, was achieved in 51.7% of patients. Conclusions 1) Contrary to popular belief, meta-analysis of current literature and a review of 200 cases demonstrates that pediatric sleep apnea is often not cured by adenotonsillectomy. 2) Although complete resolution is not achieved in most cases, adenotonsillectomy still offers significant improvements in AHI.

Hypopharyngeal airway surgery in the pediatric patient with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Although standard treatment of pediatric sleep apnea has been directed at the nasal and retropalatal levels, some patients will have persistent obstruction at the base of the tongue. Surgical approaches that treat this area, many of which have been proven effective in the adult population, can be considered to treat these patients.