Adenotonsillectomy as the treatment of serious medical conditions: Five case reports

Adenotonsillectomy surgery for serious medical conditions has been reported in various specialty medical journals in recent years. Most of these reported cases were performed for cor pulmonale and resultant congestive heart failure. I have had personal experience with adenotonsillectomy, or just adenoidectomy as treatment for not only cases of cor pulmonale, but also acute upper airway obstruction and recurrent lower respiratory disease apparently resulting from the severe upper airway obstruction. Following hospital consultation for five children who had been hospitalized as medical emergencies because of severe cardiac or pulmonary disease, recommended surgery was performed only after emergency medical treatment had been instituted. These cases were all performed within a two‐week period following hospitalization. The average follow‐up of these youngsters has been two years. To date there have been no further severe medical problems in any of these children. It is my feeling that many youngsters seen in consultation have less severe manifestations of these severe obstructive conditions. This is probably the reason that following adenotonsillectomy in selective cases there occurs a period of rapid growth and development.