Computational modeling of upper airway before and after adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea

Adenotonsillectomy, the first-line surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children, is successful in only 50% of obese children. Computational fluid dynamics tools, which have been applied to differentiate OSA patients from those without OSA based on the airway flow characteristics, can be potentially used to identify patients likely to benefit from surgical intervention. We present computational modeling of the upper airway before and after adenotonsillectomy in an obese female adolescent with OSA. The subject underwent upper airway imaging on a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, and three-dimensional airway models were constructed using airway boundary coordinates from cross-sectional MRI scans. Our results using computational simulations indicate that, in an obese child, the resolution of OSA after adenotonsillectomy is associated with changes in flow characteristics that result in decreased pressure differentials across the airway walls and thus lower compressive forces that predispose to airway collapse. Application of such findings to an obese child seeking surgical treatment for OSA can potentially lead to selection of the surgical procedure most likely to result in OSA resolution. Effective intervention for OSA in this high-risk group will result in reduction in morbidity and the public health concerns associated with OSA.     

Long-term effect of adenotonsillectomy on quality of life in pediatric patients

HYPOTHESIS: Adenotonsillectomy improves general and disease-specific quality of life for properly selected patients suffering for upper airway obstruction secondary to adenotonsillar hypertrophy (UAO) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized questionnaire. SPECIFIC AIMS: To evaluate quality of life in patients with UAO and OSA using general quality of life instruments as well as disease-specific instruments. The results will be compared both pre- and postoperatively. METHODS: Fifty-five patients aged 2 to 16 with the clinical diagnosis of UAO or OSA were recruited. The caregivers completed Children's Health Questionnaire Parent Form-28 (CHQPF-28) and OSA-18 quality of life measures both pre- and postoperatively in the long and short term. Statistical analysis was performed using the unpaired Student t test, P value less than.05, and Spearman Rank coefficient. RESULTS: CHQ-PF28 scores were improved in the Physical Summary parameter in long-term follow-up. Psychosocial scores did not improve significantly. OSA-18 scores showed improvement in both the short-and long-term scores. Physical findings and symptoms did not impact scores in any domain. CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life in children with OSA does improve after adenotonsillectomy. Disease-specific clinometric instruments show improvement in domains affected by the disease process. However, instruments used to assess general quality of life may show physical improvement but not psychosocial.     

The effect of adenotonsillectomy on obstructive sleep apnea in children with Down syndrome*

Objective: Children with Down syndrome (DS) are liable to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to many anatomical airway abnormalities. The tonsils and adenoid occupy part of the airway space, and their removal may be helpful in relieving airway obstruction. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of adenotonsillectomy in the treatment of OSA in those children.

Methods: Fifty DS children with difficult breathing were recruited, and they were subjected to polysomnographic examination (PSG). Patients with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)?>?1 were considered to have OSA. Adenotonsillectomy was performed for patients who had OSA and adenotonsillar hypertrophy, and after 3 months PSG was done for them with recording of the same preoperative parameters.

Results: Forty-three children demonstrated OSA on PSG, and they were included in the study. The preoperative mean AHI was 9.18 (±?6.17) that improved postoperatively to 2.72 (±?3.80) with its normalization in 72% of patients. Also, significant improvement of arousal index, minimum oxygen saturation, desaturation index, and peak end-tidal CO₂ was achieved postoperatively.

Conclusion: Adenotonsillectomy is an effective method for the treatment of OSA in children with DS. However, the condition may persist in some children who usually have airway narrowing at multiple levels.     

Efficacy of powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy

Objectives/Hypothesis: We sought to determine the effectiveness of powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (PITA) in the treatment of children with moderately severe obstructive sleep apnea and to measure changes in quality of life that occur with such treatment. Study Design: Prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial in an academic pediatric otolaryngology practice. Methods: Convenience sample of children ages 3 to 12 years diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea of moderate severity, defined as an apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) between 5 and 20 on polysomnography. Children with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis, chromosomal abnormalities, craniofacial abnormalities, neuromotor disease, sickle cell disease, obesity, or coagulopathy were excluded. PITA was performed by using the microdebrider. Polysomnography was performed before surgery and repeated 4 to 8 weeks after surgery. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)‐18 questionnaire was completed at surgery and at the time of postoperative polysomnography to assess quality of life changes. The main outcome measure was cure of obstructive sleep apnea, as defined by a postoperative AHI of 1 or less for complete cure and less than 5 for partial cure. Improvements in quality of life were assessed by changes in the OSA‐18 questionnaire. Results: Nineteen children underwent PITA for moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), and 14 completed postoperative polysomnography. All 14 subjects who completed the study achieved at least partial cure. Thirteen of 14 (93%) subjects had a complete cure of OSAS after PITA. The median preoperative AHI was 7.9, and the median AHI after surgery was 0.1. The mean number of arousals per hour before surgery was 9.5, and this was reduced to a mean of 5.6 after surgery. Quality of life measures on OSA‐18 also improved, with large improvements in total quality of life scores and in all five domains seen after surgery. Conclusions: PITA cures otherwise healthy children with obstructive sleep apnea of moderate severity, at least in the short‐term, as documented by postoperative polysomnography. Improvements in quality of life measures, as documented by changes in OSA‐18, were seen in all children as well.     

Behavior and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: Is Obesity a Factor?

OBJECTIVES: Children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) frequently exhibit behavioral and neurocognitive problems. There is a high prevalence of OSA among obese children. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between OSA and behavioral problems in obese children as compared with normal-weight children (controls). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized, controlled study of obese and normal-weight children with OSA presenting to a tertiary medical center for adenotonsillectomy. METHODS: All study participants underwent preoperative polysomnography to document OSA. Obesity was defined as age- and sex-adjusted body mass index at the 95th percentile or higher. Behavior was evaluated using the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC). Preoperatively, the Behavioral Symptoms Index (BSI), a global measure of behavior, and BASC scores for obese and normal-weight children were compared using an unpaired t test. RESULTS: The study population included 52 children, 18 (35%) of whom were obese. The mean age of obese children was 8.6 (range, 2.0-14.9) years. The mean age of normal-weight children was 6.4 (range, 2.1-12.9) years. Demographics were otherwise similar. The mean apnea-hypopnea index for obese children was 17.2 (5.0-38.0) and for normal-weight children was 15.7 (5.3-88.0). The BSI score was 55.3 (SD, 15.9) for obese and 55.9 (SD, 15.0) for normal-weight children. Seven (38.9%) obese and 12 (35.3%) normal-weight children had clinically significant or abnormal behavior. Similar results were seen for the BASC scales of atypicality, depression, hyperactivity, and somatization in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral problems are highly prevalent in children with OSA. However, these problems exist independently of whether children are obese or normal weight.     

Child behavior after adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To study the behavior of children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) before and after adenotonsillectomy using a standardized behavioral rating scale completed by caregivers. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study of children with OSAS at the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico. METHODS: Children between 2.5 and 18 years of age were included in the study and underwent adenotonsillectomy if the results of polysomnography showed an obstructive apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) of 5 or greater. Caregivers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) before surgery and a second time within 6 months of surgery. Pre- and postoperative BASC t scores were compared using a paired t test. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the contributions of several covariants to these change scores. RESULTS: The study population included 52 children. The mean age was 7.1 (range 2.5-14.9) years, and the mean AHI was 16.2 (range 5.0-88.0). Preoperative mean BASC t scores for all behavioral scales and composites were greater than 50. The behavioral scales that showed significant improvement after adenotonsillectomy were aggression, atypicality, depression, hyperactivity, and somatization (p < or = .001). Age, ethnicity, parental education, parental income, and AHI were not correlated with changes in BASC scores. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of children with OSAS have externalizing (hyperactivity and aggression) and internalizing (anxiety, depression, and somatization) behavioral problems. These problems improve significantly after adenotonsillectomy. The improvement is dramatic regardless of sex, age, ethnicity, parental education, parental income, or the relative severity of OSAS.