An Examination of Pre/Post-Adenotonsillectomy Obesity Indices in 3-10 Year Old Children in Mashad, Iran

Introduction: Adenotonsillectomy is one of the most frequent surgical operations on children, which may result in weight gain in a number ways, for instance, by increasing IGF-1 or decreasing respiratory hyperactivity. Materials and Methods: This was an intervention study with a control group, conducted on fifty 3-10-year-old children who had undergone adenotonsillectomy and on fifty children as the control group. The intervention and control groups were identical in terms of age and sex. Height, weight, mid-arm muscle circumference, waist circumference, and percent body fat measures were performed on the intervention group before and six months after the surgery. The same measurements were also performed on the control group at zero time and six months later. Ultimately, the results were examined and compared. Results: The body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat in the intervention group showed a significant change after six months, with P values of 0.002 and 0.024 respectively. There were no significant correlations for other variables. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, children who had undergone adenotonsillectomy for various indications showed a gradual postoperative increase in their BMI and percent body fat.