Adenotonsillectomy Improves Sleep Efficiency in Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea

THURSDAY, April 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For many children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), adenotonsillectomy (T&A) improves sleep efficiency (SE) and resolves OSA, according to a study published online April 12 in Laryngoscope: Investigative Otolaryngology.Basir S. Mansoor, from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues analyzed 139 children (median age, 5.15 years) who underwent full-night polysomnography before and after T&A to examine its impact on SE characteristics. Participants were stratified into three groups according to SE severity: normal (≥85 percent), mild-to-moderate (70 to 84 percent), and severe (<70 percent).The researchers observed notable changes post-T&A in the cohort: an increase in normal SE from 42.4 to 48.9 percent and an increase in severe SE from 9.4 to 18.0 percent. A significant decrease in the median apnea-hypopnea index was seen, from 17.3 to 6. Patterns of sleep architecture persisted postsurgery, but there was improvement in respiratory parameters across SE categories. Poorer outcomes were seen in association with Down syndrome. A substantial decline in SE was seen in the severe SE group (−17 percent), with high individual variability."Adenotonsillectomy improves sleep efficiency in many children with obstructive sleep apnea, but clinicians should anticipate variable outcomes, particularly in patients with comorbidities like Down syndrome," the authors write. "These results support individualized postoperative monitoring with extended follow-up timelines and readiness to pursue alternative interventions for children with persistent sleep efficiency impairment."Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Adenotonsillectomy Improves Sleep Efficiency in Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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