EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF ADENOTONSILLECTOMY ON EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy (T&A) applied to children and adolescents with adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) on externalizing and internalizing problems. Material and Methods: Physical and psychiatric symptoms that may be associated with ATH were evaluated with a questionnaire created by the researchers twice, before T&A surgery and at the 3rd month after surgery. Physical symptoms included the loss of appetite, snoring, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Psychiatric symptoms were enuresis (5 years and above), difficulty falling asleep, sleep talking, teeth grinding, difficulty waking up in the morning, hyperactivity, irritability and anger, damaging property, belligerent behavior, anxious mood, being tearful or sad, tics, attention deficit and concentration problems, language, speech and communication problems. Results: In the preoperative evaluation of symptoms that may be related to ATH, the most frequently reported physical symptom was the loss of appetite, while the most common psychiatric symptom was attention deficit and concentration problems. In postoperative evaluation, the symptoms showing the highest recovery rates were snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. In addition, recovery rates for physical symptoms were higher than those for psychiatric symptoms. Conclusion: This study indicated that T&A has a curative effect on many psychiatric symptoms, especially snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, seen in children with ATH. Still, further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm our findings to draw firm conclusions.