Laryngoscopy
Laryngoscopy is an examination that lets your doctor look at the back of your throat, your voice box (larynx) and vocal cords with a scope (laryngoscope). There are two types of laryngoscopy, flexible and rigid, and each uses different equipment.
Flexible scopes allow the doctor to see the throat and voice box well in the office setting without the need for general anesthesia, but the doctor is not able to perform surgery with this type of scope. The doctor will use spray medication to numb the nose before the procedure. The entire procedure only lasts a few minutes.
Rigid scopes are often used in the operating room under general anesthesia when surgery of the vocal cord or biopsies are needed. Rigid laryngoscopy may be used as a surgical procedure to remove foreign objects in the throat, collect tissue samples (biopsy), remove polyps from the vocal cords, or perform laser or injection treatments. Direct rigid laryngoscopy may also be used to help find cancer of the voice box (larynx). This is usually done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia.
Why It Is Done?
Laryngoscopy helps us:
- Find the cause of voice problems, such as a breathy voice, hoarse voice, weak voice, or no voice.
- Find the cause of persistent throat and ear pain.
- Find the cause for difficulty in swallowing, a feeling of a lump in the throat, or mucus with blood in it.
- Check injuries to the throat, narrowing of the throat (strictures), or blockages in the airway.
- Perform surgery on the voice box or vocal cords.
For more information see the post-op laryngoscopy page.