Receive personalized surgery guided by sleep imaging for sleep apnea

Recruiting

What is this trial?

Children with Down syndrome are much more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea — a condition where the airway becomes blocked during sleep — than other children. Standard surgery often doesn't work as well for them as it does for other kids. This trial is testing a new personalized approach: doctors will use a special camera called a drug-induced sleep endoscopy to directly see where your child's airway is blocked while they're sedated, and then decide which specific surgery or surgeries will work best for your individual child.

Sleep apnea is very common in children with Down syndrome and can cause daytime sleepiness, learning problems, and heart complications. Standard treatments haven't worked well enough for this group, leaving many children untreated and struggling.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

your child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)
your child has been diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea by a sleep study
your child is between 2 and 18 years old
you are your child's primary caregiver and can speak, read, and write in English or Spanish
your child is eligible for surgery and you are willing to participate in all study procedures

You likely don't qualify if…

your child has already had their tonsils or adenoids removed or partially removed
your child has a bleeding disorder or other medical reason they cannot safely have surgery
your child has serious heart or lung disease requiring extra oxygen, breathing tube problems, or a tracheostomy
your child is pregnant or planning to become pregnant

What participation looks like

If your child is accepted into the study, they will have surgery where doctors first use a special camera to see exactly where the airway is blocked while your child is safely sedated. Based on what they see, the surgeon will then perform one or more surgical procedures — such as removing the tonsils or adenoids, or other procedures — all in one surgery. You'll need to consent to all possible procedures beforehand, understanding that only the ones actually needed based on what the camera shows will be done. The research team will follow up with your family after surgery to see how well this personalized approach works.

Personalized Surgery for Sleep Apnea in Children With Down Syndrome

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(7 sites)