New research shows drug treatment can replace tonsillectomy

For many years, children with enlarged tonsils could only remedy their condition by having their tonsils removed via tonsillectomy. The surgical procedure causes days of pain, and the associated discomfort is only mildly ameliorated by the promise of plenty of ice cream. New research, however, may have come up with an alternative.

Approximately 3% of children suffer from respiratory disorders while sleeping, including snoring and sleep apnea. The most common cause of the condition in younger children is enlarged tonsils.

According to a report Thursday in Maariv, Dr. Aviv Goldbart, the assistant director of the Pediatrics department at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba and an expert in breathing and sleeping disorders at Soroka, led a team of researchers in finding non-surgical solutions for children. Goldbart was joined by Dr. Sherry Greenberg and Professor Asher Tal.

The team discovered that Montelukast, an anti-inflammatory drug used for the prevention and long-term treatment of asthma, helped open the closed airways that cause sleep disturbance and improved the quality of sleep.

Sleep disorders in children have been linked to academic difficulties, violent behavior, and in extreme cases, heart disease. Goldbart called his recent study particularly important for children “who suffer from respiratory disorders in their sleep who are unable to undergo surgery.”