Direct rigid laryngoscopy (say "lair-en-GOS-kuh-pee") is a type of procedure. A doctor uses a tube called a scope to look deep into your throat and voice box (larynx).
The doctor may do this procedure for many reasons. He or she may want to take a tissue sample. This is called a biopsy. Or he or she may remove growths from your vocal cords. Sometimes the doctor removes an object stuck in the throat. Other times, the procedure lets the doctor perform other surgery or laser treatment.
You will be asleep during the procedure. The doctor puts the scope in your mouth. Then he or she guides it to the back of your throat.
You will probably go home the same day. But if you have surgery on your vocal cords, you may need to spend the night in the hospital. Most people can go back to work or their usual activities within a week.
Procedures can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for your procedure.
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Direct rigid laryngoscopy (say "lair-en-GOS-kuh-pee") is a procedure that lets your doctor look at your throat and voice box (larynx). The doctor used a tube, called a scope, to look deep into your throat. The doctor may have used the procedure to take a tissue sample (biopsy), remove growths from the vocal cords, or do other kinds of surgery or laser treatment in the throat. Or the procedure may have been done to remove an object that was stuck in your throat.
After the procedure, you may have some nausea and general muscle aches and may feel tired for 1 to 2 days. Your throat may feel sore or slightly swollen for 2 to 5 days. You may sound hoarse for 1 to 8 weeks, depending on what was done during the procedure.
Your doctor may ask you to speak as little as you can for 1 to 2 weeks after the procedure. If you speak, use your normal tone of voice and do not talk for very long. Whispering or shouting can strain your vocal cords as they are trying to heal. Try to avoid coughing or clearing your throat while your throat heals. These activities can also damage your vocal cords. If your vocal cords were affected during the procedure, rest your voice completely for 3 days.
If nodules or other lesions were removed from your vocal cords, you may have to follow total voice rest (no talking, whispering, or making any other voice sounds) for up to 2 weeks.
If the doctor took a sample of tissue for study, it's normal to spit up a small amount of blood after the procedure. Talk to your doctor about how much bleeding to expect and how long the bleeding may last.
If the doctor took a biopsy, the doctor or nurse will call you with the test results. It may take 2 to 5 days to get the results.
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