Surgical Management of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Beyond Adenotonsillectomy: The Nose, Nasopharynx, and Palate

Abstract

While adenotonsillectomy is the primary treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), persistent OSA after surgery is common and may be due to residual obstruction at the nose, nasopharynx, and/or palate. Comprehensive evaluation for persistent pediatric OSA ideally includes clinical examination (with or without awake nasal endosocpy) as well as drug-induced sleep endoscopy in order to accurately identify sources of residual obstruction. Depending on the site of obstruction, some of the surgical management options include submucous inferior turbinate resection, septoplasty, adenoidectomy, and expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty.

Keywords: Adenoidectomy; Nasal; Obstructive sleep apnea; Palate; Pediatric; Septoplasty; Turbinates.