Is surgery necessary for my child's breathing difficulty?

Question

Hi doctor,

My son is 22 months old. He has a problem with adenoids. We recognized it from six months of age and started giving medicines. Whenever he gets cold, he has difficulty in breathing. He breathes through his mouth and keeps his mouth open while sleeping. We have consulted many doctors, and everyone suggests surgery. But some of them suggested we wait till three years of age. He is taking Telekast 4 and Momeflo nasal spray for the past four months. But there is a slight difference. He gets cold and fever frequently. He does not have any hearing problems. We have done a hearing test. Is it good to wait for three years, or can I do his surgery immediately?

Kindly give your opinion.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern. If your child is having respiratory distress during sleep or his cold and cough symptoms get increased as the child grows, then immediate surgery has to be done. Because adenoids continue to enlarge till 5 years of age, and after that, they start to shrink in size. If the surgery is done earlier, then there are chances of having regrowth. If there is no increase in symptoms and respiratory distress during sleep, then you can wait for three years to have an adenoidectomy.

I hope this was helpful.

Thank you.