Like father like daughter

[Wanna Snooze]

I'm back on the board after a long hiatus to get some opinions from folks.

My 9yo daughter has recently (via sleep study) been diagnosed with apnea (AHI around 13 on back, about 2 on side). Not too big of a shocker, since both my father and I have it.

The initial appointment after the study was with a sleep physician associated with the sleep center. She indicated that my daughter's tonsils were somewhat large, as was her tongue. (Again, not too big of a shocker. My apnea is about 100% tongue obstruction: AHI 37.5 down to a little over 2 at last check with only an oral appliance being used, as well as some minor weight loss.) Due to the difference between the two AHI numbers, the sleep physician first suggested wedge pillows and encouraging side sleeping. If these didn't work, we would come back to investigate further treatment options.

After several weeks with the pillows (which seem to help somewhat), to get another view point we decided to visit an ENT whom my daughter had seen for an unrelated issue. This ENT looked at the numbers, did the standard "stare in the mouth and nose", and stated that my daughter had somewhat large tonsils and needed an adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy. I asked him if that would help at all with a tongue obstruction, and he flatly said "no", but that these procedures are "what are initially done for children with sleep apnea". No comments regarding the tongue at all, save for the fact that he didn't need the diagrams from the first physician, since "he could make his own observations" for these.

Granted, these two surgeries are fairly common, and aren't as painful and controversial as UPPP. However, given heredity and my personal experience with ENTs and apnea, I have some nagging concern that this surgery decision may be a bit of a shot from the hip.

Thoughts?