Effects of Adenotonsillectomy on Pulmonary Arterial Pressure

There are several studies which have shown that adenotonsillar hypertrophy can cause airway obstruction, chronic alveolar hypoventilation, and even may lead to severe cardiopulmonary complications like pulmonary artery hypertension. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of adenotonsillectomy on pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in children with hypertrophic tonsils and adenoids. Forty children (21 males and 19 females) aged between four and 14 (mean: 7.9±2.3) years with a diagnosis of upper airway obstruction due to hypetrophied tonsils and adenoids were included in our study. PAP was measured by Doppler echocardiography both preoperatively, and six weeks after operation. Preoperative PAP was 26.1±3.9 mmHg and postoperative PAP was 25.9±5 mmHg. Although two cases out of three had raised preoperative PAP, adenotonsillectomy resulted in decreasing the pressure, but there was no statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative echocardiographic findings. It seems that whilst increasing of pulmonary artery pressure (due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy), adenotonsillectomy can be of beneficial outcomes in decreasing this pressure.