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Rigid laryngoscopy

Published by Bupa's health information team, December 2008.

This factsheet is for people who are planning to have a rigid laryngoscopy, or who would like information about it.

A laryngoscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to examine your throat, vocal cords and larynx (voice box).

Your care will be adapted to meet your individual needs and may differ from what is described here. So it's important that you follow your doctor's advice.

About laryngoscopy
Preparing for your procedure
About the procedure
What to expect afterwards
Recovering from laryngoscopy
What are the risks?
Questions and answers
Related topics
Sources

About laryngoscopy

Laryngoscopy is done using a narrow tube with a telescopic camera and light on the end. The tube may be flexible or rigid. Flexible laryngoscopy is often done to diagnose throat conditions. Your doctor may recommend a flexible laryngoscopy to find out what's causing symptoms such as:

persistent sore throat
difficulty breathing or swallowing
loss of voice

A rigid laryngoscopy is often done to take a sample of tissue (biopsy), or deliver treatment.

Preparing for your procedure

Laryngoscopy is usually done in a hospital as an out-patient or day case procedure.

A rigid laryngoscopy is usually done under general anaesthesia. This means you will be asleep during the procedure. Sometimes it may be done under a local anaesthetic with sedation.

If you're having a general anaesthetic, you will be asked to follow fasting instructions. Typically, you must not eat or drink for about six hours before a general anaesthetic. However, some anaesthetists allow occasional sips of water until two hours beforehand.

At the hospital your nurse may check your heart rate and blood pressure, and test your urine.

Your doctor will usually ask you to sign a consent form. This confirms that you understand the risks, benefits and possible alternatives to the procedure and have given your permission for it to go ahead.

You should tell your doctor if you're allergic to any medication and whether you have asthma, heart problems or arthritis affecting your neck. It's important to tell your doctor if you have any dental crowns, bridges or loose teeth.

About the procedure

The procedure may take 10 to 30 minutes, depending on what needs to be done.

Your nurse will ask you to take off your shirt or top and put on a hospital gown. You will be asked to remove dentures or dental plates, contact lenses, glasses and jewellery.

Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, your doctor will carefully pass the laryngoscope down your throat.

A camera lens at the end of the laryngoscope may be used to send pictures from the inside of your throat to a monitor. Alternatively, your doctor may look directly into the laryngoscope to examine your throat and larynx, deliver treatment and, if necessary, take a biopsy. If a biopsy is taken, it will be sent to a laboratory for tests.

What to expect afterwards

You will need to rest until the effects of the general anaesthetic have passed.

You will usually be able to go home when you feel ready.

You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home. You should try to have a friend or relative stay with you for the first 24 hours.

Results

If you have a biopsy, your results will be ready several days later and will usually be sent to the doctor who recommended your test. At the hospital, your doctor may discuss other findings from the laryngoscopy with you before you leave, or you may be given a date for a follow-up appointment.

Recovering from laryngoscopy

You're likely to have a sore throat for the first few hours. If you need pain relief, you can take over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine and if you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice.

General anaesthesia (and sedation) temporarily affects your coordination and reasoning skills, so you must not drive, drink alcohol, operate machinery or sign legal documents for 48 hours (24 hours for sedation) afterwards. If you're in any doubt about driving, always follow your doctor's advice and contact your motor insurer so that you're aware of their recommendations.

You shouldn't have any problems after having a laryngoscopy, but if you develop any of the following symptoms contact your GP:

cough up or vomit blood
difficulty in breathing
high temperature

What are the risks?

Laryngoscopy is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications of this procedure.

Side-effects

These are the unwanted but mostly temporary effects of a successful procedure, for example, feeling sick as a result of the general anaesthetic.

Side-effects of laryngoscopy include:

mild sore throat - gargling with salt water may ease any discomfort
loss of voice - your voice usually returns to normal within a few days

Complications

This is when problems occur during or after the procedure. Most people aren't affected. Your doctor will be experienced at performing laryngoscopies, but even so, a few aren't successfully completed and may need to be repeated.

Complications of rigid laryngoscopy are uncommon but can include:

difficulty in breathing - this can be a result of the putting the laryngoscope in the throat or due to effects of the sedative or general anaesthesia
reaction to the sedative or general anaesthesia - such as a skin rash or heart problems
damage the airway or throat lining - particularly if a biopsy is taken
damage to teeth - particularly as the laryngoscope is passed through your mouth

The exact risks are specific to you and differ for every person, so we have not included statistics here. Ask your doctor to explain how these risks apply to you.