Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Feb 1999
Obstructive sleep apnea in children with achondroplasia: surgical and anesthetic considerations.
To evaluate the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in a large population of children with achondroplasia and to evaluate the effectiveness of adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy as treatment. ⋯ Obstructive sleep apnea is very common in children with achondroplasia. Surgery is effective, but recurrent symptoms are common, particularly when the initial procedure is adenoidectomy. The complication rate is higher than that observed in a general pediatric population but is readily managed with standard therapy. Anesthesia can be given safely to these patients with special consideration for limited neck extension and appropriate endotracheal tube size.