Impact of Adenotonsillectomy on Obesity Risk: A Case-Control Study in Paediatric Population

Childhood obesity is one of the most important problem in our society with a multifactorial aetiology. Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy are one of the most frequent paediatric surgeries. Primary aim of our retrospective study is to evaluate the possible relationship between tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy and the subsequent development of childhood obesity. METHODS: 267 children (3-17 years) were enrolled and n=9 are excluded because of their elevated BMI before surgery or their therapy. Case group: 158 children (98 male (M), 60 female (F)) with essential obesity (≥97°P) and no evidence of obesity complications at the first endocrinology visit (T0). Control group=100 non obese children (37 M, 63 F) with subclinical hypothyroidism. We collect anthropometric parameters (height, weight, BMI) at T0, pre and post-surgery. RESULTS: ENT surgery was more frequent in case group than control one (n=46 vs n=7, p-value <0,0001). The mean period between the date of surgery and the onset of obesity was 3,5 years (6 months-10 years). The Odds ratio (OR) between risk to develop obesity after ENT surgery is five times higher in the case group than the control one, (OR 5.5 p-value <0,0001). CONCLUSION: The surgical exposure seems to be a risk factor for obesity development. Actually, the weight gain might be related to improvement of lifestyle and olfactory-taste perception. Level of Evidence: Level III, case-control analytic trial