ArticleBrazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology
Is there a relationship between tonsil volume and the success of pharyngeal surgery among adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea?
Article in Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Surgical failure guided by DISE in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Pooled it
- Barbed palatal surgery: single stage or multilevel setting-a systematic review by the Young Otolaryngologists of the Italian Society of Otolaryngology.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2023Pooled it
- Intracapsular tonsillectomy in adults with obstructive sleep apnoea and large tonsils.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- [Dynamic assessment of upper airway in obstructive sleep apnea patients with a focus on drug-induced sleep endoscopy].Lin chuang er bi yan hou tou jing wai ke za zhi = Journal of clinical otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery · 2026Review
- Predictive Value of Sleep Architecture and Arousal Index for Surgical Outcomes in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025Article
- Using DISE to evaluate tonsillar obstruction in sleep apnea syndrome in adults.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- Predictors of Success of Pharyngeal Surgery in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Insights into the Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Tonsil volume and outcome of radiofrequency uvulopalatoplasty with or without tonsillectomy in adults with sleep-disordered breathing.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2023Article
- Treatment of sleep disordered breathing relapse after surgery.Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesHypertrophic palatine tonsils play a role in the blockage of the upper airway, one of the known causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Therefore, it is possible that there is an association between tonsil size and the success of pharyngeal surgery during OSA treatment. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between tonsil grade and volume, as well as to establish whether a relationship exists between tonsil size and the success rate of pharyngeal surgery (tonsillectomy and pharyngoplasty with barbed sutures).
methodsThis retrospective study includes forty-four adult patients who underwent tonsillectomy and pharyngeal surgery with barbed sutures for the treatment of simple snoring and OSA between January 2016 and September 2019. Patients who had been previously tonsillectomized or those for whom tonsil volume measurement was lacking were excluded. All patients underwent a pre-operative physical exploration at the clinic exam room and a sleep study. Prior to surgery a Drug Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) was performed. Tonsil volume was measured intraoperatively using the water displacement method. The same sleep study was repeated six months following surgery.
resultsA significant correlation was found between tonsil grade and volume and between such measurements and the blockage observed at the level of the oropharynx during the DISE. Moreover, an association was observed between tonsil volume, but not tonsil grade, and the success of tonsillectomy and pharyngoplasty with barbed sutures. A tonsil volume greater than 6.5 cm
conclusionA correlation exists between tonsil grade and tonsil volume. A bigger tonsil volume is associated with a greater success rate of oropharyngeal surgery during treatment of OSA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3, non-randomized cohort study.
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