Incidence and factors associated with revision adenoidectomy: A retrospective study

Introduction: Adenoidectomy is one of the most commonly performed pediatric operations worldwide. There are a proportion of children who require revision adenoidectomy. Yet there is little in the literature about the incidence, associated factors and etiology of adenoidal regrowth. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to determine incidence and factors associated with revision adenoidectomy. Methods: An extraction of all hospital morbidity records belonging to patients under the age of 18 years who underwent one or more adenoidectomy procedures (with or without tonsillectomy) between January 1, 2000 and June 2016 at a tertiary care children's hospital was performed. Demographic, diagnostic, and procedural data were included in the analysis. Community prescribing information was examined for the number of courses of antibiotics prescribed to each patient prior to initial adenoidectomy. Results: There were 8260 patients under the age of 18 years who underwent primary adenoidectomy from 2000 to 2016 at a tertiary pediatric hospital. 2.5% (n = 212) of patients underwent revision adenoidectomy in our cohort during the same time period. A higher proportion of females underwent revision adenoidectomy when compared to male counterparts (p = 0.007). Patients who were prescribed more than five courses of antibiotics prior to initial adenoidectomy were more likely to undergo revision adenoidectomy (p = 0.003). Patients with a diagnosis of otitis media with effusion were more likely to undergo revision adenoidectomy (p = < 0.001). A diagnosis of asthma (p = < 0.001), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (p = < 0.001), and allergic rhinitis (p = < 0.001) was associated with revision adenoidectomy. An age of over 4 years at the time of initial adenoidectomy was associated with revision adenoidectomy (p = < 0.001). Adenoids that obstructed over 75% of the nasal choanae were associated with revision adenoidectomy in this cohort (p = < 0.001). Conclusion: This study has identified several factors associated with revision adenoidectomy.