It's Not Your Tonsils! OSA Management Transitions from Pediatric to Adult Care

Sunday, October 12, 2025

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

Location: 242

Disclosure(s):

Lara K. Reichert, MD MPH:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Christine E. DeMason, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Robert N. Strominger, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Sarah E. Maurrasse, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Obstructive sleep apnea is a problem affecting otolaryngology patients of all ages and levels of complexity. While adenotonsillectomy is a main surgical treatment for pediatric OSA, what do we do for patients with persistent OSA after surgical intervention or those with newly diagnoses OSA years after treatment? Is it different if they did not have a tonsillectomy as a child? What if it was an intracapsular tonsillectomy? For many patients, the tonsils aren't the problem. How do we manage discussions of weight loss? What are best practices for managing noninvasive positive pressure therapy (ie CPAP, BiPAP) for patients? When should patients be referred to pulmonology or sleep medicine? How can we add new techniques to our adolescent and adult care practices if we were not exposed during residency- DISE, Inspire, etc? Even more elusive is the management strategy behind decannulation readiness in chronic tracheostomy patients with OSA. This panel combines pediatric and comprehensive otolaryngology perspectives to determine how to best evaluate and treat OSA in these populations with special attention to transitioning care from the pediatric to adult realm.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: Describe the differences between pediatric and adult obstructive sleep apnea criteria.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: List surgical treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Discuss anatomy and physiology changes from pediatric to adult airway and how this impacts OSA.

BACKGROUND STATEMENT: Gap analysis show transitions of care from pediatric to adult otolaryngology care is a necessary discussion topic. This group includes pediatric and comprehensive otolaryngologists at all career levels. OSA management for those refractory to adenotonsillectomy is another gap area.

Comprehensive Otolaryngology Track Statement : OSA in encountered by all comprehensive otolaryngologists. Many otolaryngologists will inherit patients from their pediatric subspecialty partners, and this panel discusses the nuances of that transition.

Moderator(s)

Lara K. Reichert, MD MPH

Associate Professor
Albany Medical Center
Albany, NY, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Panelist(s)

Lara K. Reichert, MD MPH

Associate Professor
Albany Medical Center
Albany, NY, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Christine E. DeMason, MD

Associate Professor
UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Robert N. Strominger, MD

Attending
Carilion New River Valley Medical Center
Christiansburg , VA, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Sarah E. Maurrasse, MD

Assistant Professor
Yale University
New Haven, CT, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.