UC San Diego

Objective

Both tonsillar hypertrophy and obesity contribute to pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Tonsillectomy addresses anatomical obstruction causing SDB; however, it may adversely affect the obesity profile postoperatively. Herein, we investigate posttonsillectomy body mass index (BMI) changes in pediatric patients.

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Setting

Tertiary, pediatric urban academic center.

Methods

All patients undergoing tonsillectomy from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, were included. Patients' age, sex, surgical indication, and preoperative BMI were recorded. Postoperative BMI data were collected between March 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017. Statistical analysis was performed using a generalized regression model, using BMI percentile-for-age weight status.

Results

A total of 1153 patients were included (50% female), with age ranging from 2.0 to 19.5 years (mean [SD], 7.6 [4.0]). The majority (87.8%) had tonsillectomy for SDB. Of the cohort, 560 (48.6%) had available follow-up BMI data. The BMI percentile on the day of the surgery had a median of 65.8, and the BMI percentile on follow-up had a median of 76.4. The median time to follow-up was 197 days with a range of 50 to 605 days. Higher postoperative BMI percentile strongly correlated to higher preoperative BMI percentile (P < .001), as well as younger age (P < .001), male sex (P = .0005), and SDB as a surgical indication (P = .003).

Conclusion

We observed a significant increase in BMI percentile following tonsillectomy, which accounted for a significantly higher proportion of the cohort being classified as overweight or obese postoperatively. These findings necessitate greater preoperative counseling, closer follow-up, and adjunctive measures for obesity management in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy.