Are Tonsil and Adenoid Surgerys Helpful?
Tonsil and adenoid surgery are the most common major surgeries performed in children.
Children with frequent throat infections and obstructive sleep apnea were excluded from the study because the researchers concluded that the value of the surgery in those patient groups is not disputed.
However, the results of the study were surprising, even to the researchers. In the multi-center study, 149 children were randomized into a watchful waiting group and 151 were randomized to undergo a adenotonsillectomy. Watchful waiting required that the children were monitored closely with medical intervention if necessary.
Annual medical expenses attributed to the watchful waiting group were $500 per year as compared to $730 in the group that underwent surgery. More astonishing was that the surgery did not result in a clinically relevant decrease in occurrences such as fever, throat infections or upper respiratory infections.
The data was released in the November issue of the Archives of Otalaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
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