Standing over your beautiful child sleeping so peacefully and soundly is one of the happiest moments a parent can experience. And then a sound comes from your child, a sound so loud and window rattling that you do not know if it is from your sleeping angel or a grown man.
Snoring is a common problem and one that is gaining more and more attention as its connection to sleep-disordered breathing becomes more apparent. Sleep disordered breathing is a relative term that can be used to describe snoring and/or sleep apnea. This leads to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, poorer outcomes and behavior in school, bedwetting and many other health related consequences. In children, sleep disordered breathing often is related to large tonsils and/or adenoid tissue that obstruct the airway while they sleep.
So, what can be done to fix the problem? Traditionally a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy was used to remove the enlarged tissue to help fix the breathing issue. It can be an uncomfortable procedure with up to 2-weeks of recovery. An alternative to children with sleep disordered breathing is a procedure called a tonsillotomy.
A tonsillotomy is also known as a “partial tonsillectomy”. In this procedure approximately 90% of the tonsil is removed leaving a small piece of tonsillar tissue. While there is a small chance (about 3-5%) of tonsillar regrowth, there are many advantages such as: faster recovery time, reduced pain, much lower chance of post-operative bleeding, and faster improvements with swallowing and sleep.
As parents we know how important it is to get a good night sleep. We need to realize the impact it has on our children as well. If your child is having sleeping issues or daytime problems it is a good idea to have him or her checked out to see if sleep disordered breathing is playing a role. Call our specialists at (605)791-0602 to schedule a consultation today!
