A Study of Sleep-related Quality of Life Before and After Surgery in Children with Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy and High OSA-18 Questionnaire Score

Aim: To evaluate the improvement in sleep-related quality of life among children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy following adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy using the OSA-18 questionnaire.Materials and methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital and included 92 children aged 3-14 years with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and an OSA-18 score >60.Caregivers completed the OSA-18 questionnaire pre-operatively and at 4 weeks post-operatively.Pre-and post-treatment scores, including individual domain scores, were compared using a paired t-test.Results: The mean pre-operative OSA-18 score for the study population was 78.30, which significantly decreased to 33.52 post-operatively (p < 0.001).The most frequent symptoms were loud snoring, mouth breathing because of nasal obstruction, and nasal discharge or a runny nose.Significant improvement was observed across all domains, with significant gains observed in the sleep disturbance and physical suffering domains.The overall mean OSA-18 scores indicate improved QOL, validating the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy for SDB.Conclusion: Sleep-disordered breathing significantly impairs quality of life.The findings of our study underscore the pivotal significance of adenotonsillectomy as a therapeutic intervention for pediatric SDB, yielding profound and far-reaching enhancements in quality of life, thereby reaffirming its crucial role in the management of this prevalent condition.Additionally, the OSA-18 questionnaire proves instrumental in guiding treatment decisions and counseling parents on the necessity of surgery.The concise design of the questionnaire enables rapid administration in an outpatient setting, ensuring efficient use of time while fostering active parental involvement.