Objective: Adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) is the most common cause for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and adenotonsillectomy is used in treatment. Children with OSAS experience cardiovascular complications. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is one of the critical markers used for cardiovascular diseases. The present study aimed to determine the effects of adenotonsillectomy on NT-proBNP levels in patients with ATH. Materials and Methods: The study has been designed

more »

... as a single center clinical study. Children with ATH were included in the study, who were complaining from snoring, breathing from the mouth and breathing pauses during sleep. Measurements of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ), complete blood cell count, routine biochemical blood tests, chest radiography, electrocardiography, and a complete ear, nose and throat examination were performed. Upper airway obstruction and snoring were graded. NT-proBNP level was measured quantitatively by electrochemiluminescence method. Adenotonsillectomy was performed by curettage and cold dissection methods under general anesthesia. Results: The study included 25 patients with ATH. Snoring or apnea was not observed in any of the patients at the post-operative 6 month. The median pre-and post-operative NT-proBNP levels were 10.01 pg/mL and 7.13 pg/mL, respectively and the difference was significant. There were no significant differences among the subgroups of gender, pre-operative snoring, preoperative apnea, tonsil size, and adenoid size regarding the difference of NT-ProBNP level between the postand pre-operative periods. Conclusion: Adenotonsillectomy provided airway patency, and thereby led to an improvement in unfavorable effects on cardiovascular system.