Cognitive, behavioral and psychiatric problems in children with adenoidectomy/adenotonsillectomy

Aim: Adenotonsillectomy is one of the most common pediatric surgical procedures. It is performed frequently for recurrent infections and obstructive causes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychiatric, cognitive and behavioral symptoms of children who are planned to have adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy because of sleep disordered breathing and recurrent infections.Materials and Methods: Thirty-six children between 3-5 years of age who have undergone adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy matched with thirty-six healty children were compared according to the sosyodemographic data, Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory Tests for their developments and skills and Early Childhood Inventory-4 filled out by the parents for their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms.Results: It has been found out that children who have undergone adenoidectomy /adenotonsillectomy have more disabilities in terms of language cognitive and fine motor developmental fields according to controls, they show more mental and behavioral symptoms and contrary to the information in literature these disabilities and mental symptoms are more prominent in recurrent infections group. Recurrent infections lead to cognitive, mental and behavioral problems as much as sleep disordered breathing.Conclusions: It has been revealed that early treatment in children who have undergone adenoidectomy/ adenotonsillectomy because of recurrent infections and sleep disordered breathing can be protected from neurocognitive and behavioral problems that can get more complex in time and some of which can be irreversible. Morbidity might be reduced and quality of life might be improved. Also, it seems that in order to indicate these improvements, follow up studies should be conducted.