Tonsil surgery may make kids obese–study
Tonsil surgery may make kids obese–study
According to a study published in the journal ‘Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surger,’ removal of tonsils ups the risk of obesity in kids.
Lead author of the study Dr. Anita Jeyakumar, M.D., from Saint Louis University, stated, “We found a greater-than-expected weight gain in normal and overweight children after tonsillectomy.”
Tonsillectomy is the most common surgical procedure to remove tonsils from either side of the throat.
Every year more than half a million kids in the United States get their tonsils or tonsils and adenoids removed.
Kids undergo the surgery due to infection like tonsillitis and adenoiditis, or sleep disturbance, nasal airway obstruction and snoring.
Studies reviewed
To determine the link between tonsil removal and weight gain in kids, the researchers reviewed studies published between 1970 and 2009 on children who underwent tonsillectomy.
Results of nine studies were included in the analysis. They analyzed weight gain in 795 children in the age group 0 to 18 years. All the kids had undergone tonsillectomy.
The studies used different methods to measure weight gain. Three of the studies used body mass index (BMI) as a measure.
In one of the studies involving 127 children, the researchers found that within a year of the surgery, the BMI of the children increased 7 percent on an average.
“There is a big difference between association and cause. It is good that these researchers have raised the question, but we certainly can’t say from this study that this surgery contributes to obesity.”–Julie Wei, pediatric otolaryngologist
In another analysis of 249 children, 50 to 75 percent of them gained weight after tonsillectomy.
Based on the review, the scientists analyzed that kids may be putting on more pounds after tonsils are removed.
Why kids gain weight post surgery?
What exactly is happening is yet not clear. There is a possibility that kids suffering from tonsillitis eat less than others, as swallowing food is difficult. But after surgery is performed, they start eating more.
Another theory states that kids who have enlarged tonsils spend more energy to breathe, thus they use more calories. Once the tonsils are removed, less energy is used, as breathing becomes easier.
Julie Wei, pediatric otolaryngologist, stated, “There is a big difference between association and cause. It is good that these researchers have raised the question, but we certainly can’t say from this study that this surgery contributes to obesity.”
Though the study does not provide a direct link between tonsillectomy and weight gain, family of children who have weight problems need to evaluate the possible pros and cons of the tonsillectomy.
“For some patients this surgery might be considered more of a risk than a benefit,” stated Jeyakumar.
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Tonsil surgery may make kids obese–study
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