Oxygen saturation improvement after adenotonsillectomy in children

The goal of this study was to establish whether adenotonsillectomy is effective on the severity of oxygen desaturation or improve oxygen saturation in children with sleep breathing disorders. Thirty-two children, aged 4-7 years, with clinical indication for adenotonsillectomy were enrolled in a non-controlled clinical trial. Pre- and postoperative nocturnal oxygen saturation monitoring was done and oxygen desaturation index as well as desaturation events were analyzed using Wilcoxon and paired Student's t-tests. Snoring was the most prevalent (87.5%) complaint before operation. The study revealed a significant improvement in the postoperative oxygen desaturation index (1.60 +/- 3.22) compared with the preoperative oxygen desaturation index (3.98 +/- 4.93) (p < 0.01). Oxygen desaturation events at the level of oxygen saturation 85-89% was significantly improved after operation (p < 0.01). No significant differences were seen in the desaturation events at the levels of oxygen saturation lower than 85%. Nocturnal oxygen saturation improves mildly after adenotonsillectomy in children with sleep breathing disorders.