The effect of adenoidectomy on nasal resistance to airflow.

The aim of the research was to determine whether the operation of adenoidectomy affected the nasal resistance to airflow. The total nasal respiratory resistance (TNR) was measured in forty-four children admitted for adenoidectomy and myringotomies, with or without tonsillectomy. The measurement was repeated three months post-operatively. There was significant correlation between the pre-operative TNR and the weight of adenoid removed at operation. A history of snoring pre-operatively, which was absent after operation, was related to a high pre-operative TNR and large adenoids. Those children in whom at least one gram of adenoid tissue was removed, were found to have a mean reduction in nasal resistance of 19%.