Incidence and Characteristics of Revision Adenoidectomy Among Pediatric Patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Background Adenoidectomy is the most commonly performed pediatric operation worldwide and one of the most frequent otorhinolaryngological procedures. It is a safe procedure with a low risk of complications. However, after a successful adenoidectomy, few patients experience symptoms of nasal obstruction, suggestive of adenoid regrowth. Because of various risk factors, patients require a revision adenoidectomy. This study aimed to determine the incidence of revision adenoidectomy at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). Moreover, we aimed to identify the characteristics and factors that present a risk of revision adenoidectomy in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 680 pediatric patients (age below 18 years) of Saudi and non-Saudi descent who underwent a prior adenoidectomy with or without tonsillectomy, as well as those who underwent a revision adenoidectomy. The data from 2015 to 2018 were obtained from the hospital medical records using a data collection sheet. The data were entered on to a Microsoft excel sheet, and descriptive statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS software V21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results The incidence of revision adenoidectomy at our center was 2.79%. We found significant relationships between comorbidities and revision adenoidectomy (p=0.014), initial adenoidectomy without tonsillectomy and revision adenoidectomy (p=0.001), and a young age at initial surgery and revision adenoidectomy. The mean age at initial adenoidectomy was 2.5 years (standard deviation [SD], ±0.607 years), whereas that at revision adenoidectomy was 1.89 years (SD, ±0.737 years). The mean interval between primary and revision adenoidectomies was 42.32 months (range, 9-86 months). Conclusion The incidence of revision adenoidectomy at KAUH was 2.79%. Moreover, only adenoidectomy without a tonsillectomy presented a high risk of adenoid regrowth necessitating a revision adenoidectomy. Therefore, we recommend counseling patients to undergo an adenoidectomy with tonsillectomy to reduce the risk of revision adenoidectomy.