Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring

You may need to be watched closely after surgery. Your care team will watch:

• Your blood oxygen levels.
• For throat swelling, nerve injury, and sleepiness. Both the surgery itself and the medicines used can cause this.

Your throat will be sore after surgery. You may find it hard to eat and swallow for a few days.

Children who are younger than 3 years and who have other conditions, such as Down syndrome, are more likely to have problems from surgery. The most common is having a hard time breathing. These children may need oxygen therapy, Opens dialog or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), Opens dialog therapy after surgery.

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Your doctor may suggest these surgeries to treat sleep apnea if you have swollen tonsils and adenoids that block your airway during sleep. This surgery is often the first treatment choice for children. That's because swollen tonsils and adenoids are often the cause of a child's sleep apnea.