Ok here goes. My 7 year old DD was just diagnosed with OSA. The ENT scheduled the T&A for June 14. What I would really like to know is does it really work? Its scary to think about her having the surgery but its even scarier when she stops breathing... I worry over so many things and I have read alot of the post on here already however I just thought I would check and see. She has severe allergies and is on singular in the evening and Clarinex in the morning along with Nasonex. I would also like to know if any one has had any complications to the surgery? Do you think the surgery should be done before cpap is tried?

carsmom

Hi Carsmom,

I'm sorry it has taken so long to write to you.  I have tried may times but something always happens before I can finish, so today I will type fast and actually finish this post.

My 7yo Christina was diagnosed with apnea last October.  She had x-rays of her airway and they learned that her adenoids were completely blocking her airway.  We saw an ENT who said her adenoids would probably need to go, but he wanted to give her Clarinex and Nasonex first to see if her breathing would improve on these medications.  I asked him if he would order another sleep study to confirm that the medications had worked (if it seemed there was improvement).  He said "No...if she was breathing better it was safe to assume the apnea was gone".  Not the answer I was looking for.  We went to ENT#2 and he said we could try the medications, and that he would order another sleep study if they appeared to work, but that in the end she would probably still need her adenoids out.  So.....the monday before Thanksgiving she had her adenoids out.

I would love to tell you that her problems are over, but no such luck.  She still has moderately severe apnea.  Her AHI before the surgery was 28 and after was 8.  I am very glad that she had the surgery because it has made her life better.  She breaths better in the daytime and her AHI is lower and more treatable with the cpap.  She had no complications at all from the surgery other than not wanting to eat for a few days.  She is doing very well on cpap (935 hours so far and a lifetime to go).  

Surgery might not seem like a good option, but cpap has its problems in kid, especially ones who are still growing.  The problems we have learned about are --- aspiration if they throw up while sleeping (Chris has a full face mask)...alll of  my kids have thrown up at night without knowing in advance that there was a problem --- facial development....the mask is strapped to Chris' face for 9 hours a night pushing on her lower jaw....potential TMJ issues as well as growth inhibition --- masks are tricky to fit on a child --- compliance (not an issue with Chris but some kids dont' like it at all)  --- other parents who are very uncomfortable with having a child sleep over with a breathing machine  --- and one of the hardest of all finding a dr who has experience with a child on cpap

I hope this helps, let me know if there is anything else I can tell you

Wishing you and your daughter all the best

Tatamom

My daughter had her tonsils and adnoids removed when she was five. It did help resolve her sleep apnea for a few years until she was about 7 and a half and then the snoring began again...we are picking up her CPAP on Wednesday. That being said, if it were me I would try the T&A surgery first before going to CPAP. Surgery is scary but it is the most obvious and easiest way of dealing with the apnea.Even though Hannah has apnea again, I am still happy we did the T&A surgery. She also has allergies abnd had severe sinus issues and it did seem to make a difference how often she was ill. The surgery itself was very easy and no complications.


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Heather-Mom to Hannah(8-hose head) and Logan(4), wife to Paul (also a hose head)

Thank you guys so much. I know message boards are the best way to find the answers and to get first hand experience, I really appreciate it. Thanks for all the help!!!

Ok the date is getting nearer so I'm getting more nervous... I just thought of a question that I didn't answer so I figured I would. Will they do another sleep study after we have the T&A? Do they do it automatically or should we request one? How do we know if the T&A has taken care of the OSA?

I had to ask for another sleep study several times.  Our neuro (who ordered the first one) said "no snoring no problem"  and I said prove it to me.  So you may have to insist on a repeat study, but you will need to wait a while so the healing has taken place and all the swelling is down.

Susanne

Thanks Susanne,

So to bother you again but how long should I wait?

Christina waited 6 weeks because our insurance was changing.  I have heard 10-12 weeks is good.

Susanne

You should be absolutely sure to have another sleep study after the surgery.  I have a 22 month old daughter who was diagnosed with central/obstructive sleep apnea and had her tonsils and adenoids removed three months ago.  I was surprised to find out she was scheduled for a post sleep study and almost didn't take her because she was doing so well after the surgery.  To my surprise, the second sleep study, done 8 weeks after surgery, indicated that she still has central and obstructive apnea.  So now she has an MRI scheduled and also a probe will be inserted through her nose for 24 hours to determine if reflux is the problem.  I'm not sure where this journey is going to lead us, but am beginning to panic.  

I hope all went well with the surgery on the 14th!

The surgery went well but she is still in alot of pain... Im sure this is normal. The doctor told me that the most pain happens between the 5 - 7 day because the scabs start to come loose? The didn't put her on any antibiotic because she is allergic to so many and didn't want to risk her having a reaction to one after just having surgery...
I do have a question though for any one that can answer it... Her snoring is worse i know its only been 5 days but did your children snore worse after the surgery then before? Her snoring used to be unbearable before she was put on the Singular but after we got it the snoring almost went away. Now the snoring is almost as bad as it was before... I don' t know if its because she just had the surgery so I know I need to give it a few more days but I wondered if anyone experienced this after the T&A?

Thanks Carsmom

My daughter  (18 months at the time) did not snore afterward, but that was because she had so much swelling post op that she ended up being intubated and put on a ventilator for 4 days in ICU!!!!  By the time she got home, on the 5 th or 6th day, there was no snoring at all.  

So, perhaps your child is having some swelling that is causing the snoring.

Thanks Doitsister,

I was going to give it a few more days and then call the ENT to see if it was normal. I think thats what I will do, like I said the snoring got better after she was put on the Singular for her allergies. Then when we had the surgery done she is back to snoring like she was before the surgery before she was put on the Singular.

I didn't know if that was normal so I thought I would check and see. Thanks for the quick reply

Carsmom

Ok so this morning when my daughter woke up she had a bloody nose... Is this normal??? I called the doctors office and they told me to go to the drug store and get some Afrin and spray it on a cotton ball and put it in her nose and apply pressure for a few minutes and that it would make the membranes shrink and then it would stop bleeding. I did that and it did make it stop bleeding but is this normal for it to be bleeding now? Today is the 8th day after the surgery so im not sure what to expect. They said that by about the 7 or 8 day that she should be doing better but she was up most of the night and crying because her throat hurt so bad... Did this happen with you???

Thanks Carsmom

No bleeding with my child, but was told that bleeding was something serious to look for if the child threw up blood.  I think if it was just a little bit and you got it under control will be fine, but watch the situation closely.  If your child throws up blood, that means there is significant bleeding and you should call 911 and go by ambulance to the emergency room so she doesn't bleed to death.  Don't mean to scare you, but that is what my Dr. told me  specifically to do.  Pam

When Chris had her adenoids out I was told that she could start bleeding anytime in the first 10 days.  I was also told to use Afrin spray if she started bleeding.  They said if it did not stop or was heavy to take her to the ER.  

Susanne