Changes in Quality of Life after Adenotonsillectomy in Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) comprises a spectrum of airway disorders that range from simple snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In children, SDB can have an effect on the quality of life such as behavior, school performance, emotional distress and daytime function. We aim to verify changes in disease specific health related quality of life before and after adenotonsillectomy in children with SDB. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Children aged 4 through 15 years old, a total of 50 (M:36, F:14) with symptoms of snoring, mouth breathing, sleep apnea and physical examination results demonstrating tonsil size of 3+ or greater, were included. To evaluate the quality of life in children, two standard questionnaires KOSA-18 (Korean Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18 Survey) and KOSA-6 (Korean Obstructive Sleep Apnea-6 Survey) were given to the parents of children to complete, preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: There was significant improvement after adenotonsillectomy in the total score of KOSA-18 and KOSA-6. In KOSA-18 and KOSA-6, all domain scores showed improvement after surgery. CONCLUSION: Children with SDB who undergo adenotonsillectomy show significant improvement in the quality of life. Therefore, we suggest that surgical intervention could be recommended to improve the quality of life in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.