Improvement in quality of life by adenotonsillectomy in children with adenotonsillar disease

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of adenotonsillectomy on quality of life of children with adenotonsillar disease and to evaluate the basal differences and post-surgical changes of life quality in children with different disease severity.

Study design: Prospective, case - controlled study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Participants and main outcome measures: Preoperative and postoperative quality of life of 40 children with adenotonsillar disease were determined by pedsQL™, and disease severity was assessed in terms of a score obtained by tonsil and adenoid health status instrument (TAHSI). These children comprised the study group. Median of scores of study group was 31. Twenty-one children with a score less than 31 comprised the study subgroup I, while 19 children with a score bigger than 31 comprised the study subgroup II. Thirty normal children comprised the control group. Comparisons of data obtained from affected and healthy children and their parents were made.

Results: The mean preoperative physical, emotional, social, school and total quality of life scores of the study group were 64.81, 49.62, 76.37, 66.62 and 64.41; postoperatively 83.67, 75.75, 85.75, 87.25, 83.18; and control group were 82.21, 77.50, 92.50, 90.50, 85.40, respectively. There was highly statistically significant difference between all preoperative and postoperative scores of the study group. There was highly statistically significant difference between all preoperative scores of the study and control group. There was no statistically significant difference in preoperative and postoperative scores between the study subgroups. The improvement after surgery was not statistically significant between mild and severe group except for emotional scale.

Conclusion: Children with adenotonsillar disease showed significant improvements in disease-specific and global quality of life after adenotonsillectomy as measured by TAHSI and PedsQL. Preoperative and postoperative life quality does not differ according to severity of the disease. The improvement provided by adenotonsillectomy in the children with mild disease is statistically not different from the severely affected children in overall life quality.