Impacts of body weight after surgery for obstructive sleep apnea in children

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impacts of body weight status on surgical outcomes and shifts of body weight status after adenotonsillectomy(T&A) in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: From 2009 to 2011, 161 children (mean age, 7.0 +/- 3.4 years; 78% boys) were included. All the children had clinical symptoms and preoperative polysomnographic evaluations diagnosis of OSA. Children were divided into four weight status groups (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese), based on age and gender corrected body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Following T&A, the four different weight status groups significantly improved in apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) and minimum oxygen saturation. However, 49.1% of the children (79/161) had residual OSA (AHI >= 1). The incidence of residual OSA (AHI >= 1) in the obese group was 75%, which was significantly higher than the other three groups (P < 0.01). Weight status changes after T&A were documented, and 54% (13/24) of the underweight children shifted to normal weight status within 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Although sleep parameters improved in all weight statuses, obese children had a higher incidence of residual OSA postoperatively. About half of the underweight children shifted to normal weight status after T&A. International Journal of Obesity (2013) 37, 527-531; doi:10.1038/ijo.2012.194; published online 27 November 2012