Adenotonsillectomy Reduces Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Improves Sleep Quality in Adult Patients

Adenotonsillectomy is widely established as a first-line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children; however, its effectiveness and clinical role in adult patients remain less well defined.

The study purpose was to measure changes in sleep quality and OSA risk in adults following adenotonsillectomy.

This was a prospective cohort study conducted at Unimed, in Itaperuna, RJ, Brazil, including 28 adult patients diagnosed with OSA.

The primary predictor variable was the time point (preoperative vs 2 months postoperative).

The main outcome variable was therapeutic response, measured using sleep quality, OSA risk, and daytime fatigue.

Age, sex, body mass index, and baseline sleep quality.

Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using χ², Fisher's exact, and Wilcoxon tests (P < .05).

The sample included 28 subjects with a mean age of 28.4 years (±9.1), of whom 15 (53.6%) were male. Adenotonsillectomy improved sleep quality and reduced OSA risk. The proportion of subjects classified as high-risk for OSA decreased from 71.73 to 0% (P < .0001). Median Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores improved from 9.5 (interquartile range 6 to 11) presurgery to 2.0 (1 to 4) postsurgery (P < .0001). In addition, daytime fatigue and snoring frequency also showed marked reductions postoperatively (P < .0001).

Among adults with significant tonsillar or adenoidal hypertrophy and OSA, adenotonsillectomy was associated with improvements in sleep quality and reduced OSA risk. It may represent a viable alternative for patients who cannot tolerate continuous positive airway pressure or present anatomical upper airway obstruction.