Effects of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy on hemoglobin and iron metabolism.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate a possible effect of adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, or both operations combined in children on hemoglobin concentration and iron metabolism.

METHODS

Children eligible for surgery due to recurrent tonsillitis or upper airway obstruction had a venous blood sample drawn at the time of the operation and 6 months later. One hundred and three preoperative and 91 blood samples at follow-up from patients not given iron supplementation were available for analysis of hemoglobin concentration, serum-ferritin and protoporphyrin-IX in erythrocytes.

RESULTS

A 1.4g/dl median increase in hemoglobin concentration during the observation period was associated with a significant reduction of protoporphyrin-IX, while serum-ferritin remained unchanged and low. A preoperative prevalence of anemia of 56.3% was reduced to 7.71%. All combinations of normal and pathological values of serum-ferritin and protoporphyrin-IX were found in anemic and non-anemic patients.

CONCLUSIONS

A beneficial effect of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy on hemoglobin and iron metabolism was demonstrated. Iron deficiency was common.