Characterizing Post Tonsillectomy Respiratory Complications in Patients Under Three.

Cohort studyThe Laryngoscope· Aug 2026

Characterizing Post Tonsillectomy Respiratory Complications in Patients Under Three.

Nathan E Lu, Fendi Obuekwe, Amber D Shaffer … Amanda L Stapleton

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Pediatric ENTCohort studyClinical practiceQ1IF 2.3

Otherwise healthy children under 3 rarely desaturated after tonsillectomy

Characterizing Post Tonsillectomy Respiratory Complications in Patients Under Three.

Nathan E Lu … Amanda L Stapleton

The Laryngoscope · Aug 2026 · Q1 in Otorhinolaryngology

Purpose

To characterize the postoperative respiratory complications in children < 3 years old who underwent tonsillectomy.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of patients < 3 years old at time of tonsillectomy.

n = 498 patients

3.4%

Results

3.4%

very few children had a low-oxygen episode after surgery

n = 498 patients

More results

Demographics revealed male (56.4%), white (82.9%), severe sleep apnea (30.0%), prematurity (12.9%), and genetic disorders (12.7%).

More results

Prematurity (p = 0.04), bronchopulmonary dysplasia/chronic lung disease (p = 0.02), pre-operative AHI (p = 0.006), OAHI (p = 0.01), % total sleep time < 90% O 2 (p = 0.001) and O 2 nadir (p = 0.001), and intraoperative laryngospasm (p = 0.03) were associated with receiving postoperative supplemental oxygen.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Otherwise healthy children < 3 years old who underwent tonsillectomy had a low risk of critical postoperative respiratory complications.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Children < 3 years old without significant comorbidities or perioperative illness may not require mandatory overnight hospitalization following tonsillectomy.

Characterizing Post Tonsillectomy Respiratory Complications in Patients Under Three.

Characterizing Post Tonsillectomy Respiratory Complications in Patients Under Three.

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