University of Turku study: Tonsillectomy can treat adult sleep apnea

A doctoral study from the University of Turku suggests that sleep apnea in adults can be treated effectively and long-term through tonsillectomy. The research examined the prevalence of adenoid hypertrophy in adults, the complications of surgery, and the long-term efficacy of the procedure.

While tonsillectomies are a well-established treatment for breathing disorders in children, they are less frequently used for adults. The study indicates that a newer, more conservative partial tonsillectomy also appears to be an effective treatment method, though further research is required regarding its long-term effects.

According to researcher Henrik Sjöblom, while excessive growth of tonsils in adults is rare and may go unrecognized by doctors, the surgery is a routine procedure that can potentially cure sleep apnea in adults with significantly enlarged tonsils. Serious complications from the surgery were found to be very rare.