Do adenoids regrow after excision?

Abstract

The goal was to determine the incidence of symptomatic adenoidal regrowth after adenoidectomy. A cross-sectional follow-up study was done in a randomly selected group of 175 children who had undergone adenoidectomy 2 to 5 years earlier. Nasopharyngoscopy was performed in those children who still had symptoms of nasal obstruction. All surgery was performed at an academic hospital-based practice in the northeastern United States by a single surgeon using a consistent operative technique. Forty-six (26%) patients had nasal airway obstruction symptoms at follow-up. Of the 35 who agreed to undergo nasopharyngoscopy, not a single one had adenoids occupying more than 40% of the nasopharynx, and most (71%) were found to have either no or only trace amounts of adenoidal tissue (usually in the pharyngeal recess). Adenoids rarely, if ever, regrow enough to cause symptoms of nasal obstruction after adenoidectomy that includes visualization and electrocautery of the adenoid bed.