Laryngology

What are the conditions treated in Laryngology?

• Benign (Non-Cancerous) Vocal Cord Lesions like Vocal Polyp /Nodule. - These are the growth of tissue in the salivary gland which take a polyp-like shape. It is benign and could be treated with surgeries.
• Cancerous or Precancerous Lesions - It is a pinkish to dark brown textured skin formation, especially around the neck. A proper diagnosis is necessary.
• Voice Disorders like Hoarseness - It is the raspy, harsh, or strained sound of the voice, also known as dysphonia. There are many causes for hoarseness but nothing is serious and goes away with exercise.
• Infectious or Inflammatory Conditions - There are multiple causes for infections of the salivary gland which often leads to inflammation. Proper hygiene is important for the same.
• Congenital Laryngeal Disorder - It is a rare malformation with a variety of clinical features which often leads to neonatal respiratory issues.
• Vocal Cord Paralysis - It is the abrupt lack of control over the movement of vocal cords. There could be different reasons, sometimes it's because of trauma as well. Proper exercise is important.
• Laryngeal Papillomatosis - It is a benign form of tumour which develops in the larynx. It has the characteristic of travelling to different respiratory parts of the body.
• Foreign Body Larynx - In case a foreign body enters the larynx an emergency action is to be taken. It can often lead to complete blockage of the respiratory tract thus leading to breathing issues.

How do we diagnose you?

Various diagnostic tests are used to examine and diagnose diseases in laryngology that specialize in the study and treatment of conditions associated with the throat and larynx. The following are some typical laryngology diagnostic tests:

• Laryngoscopy
• Videostroboscopy
• Fiberoptic Nasolaryngoscopy
• Voice Analysis and Acoustic Testing
• Laryngeal Electromyography (EMG)
• Barium Swallow Study
• Esophagoscopy
• pH Monitoring
• Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Treatment

• Complete Speech and Swallowing Evaluation - There are issues of incomplete speech, particularly in children, it is treated through exercises. A video fluoroscopy assesses your swallowing ability. An X-ray provides a moving image of the swallowing in real time.
• Airway Reconstruction - It is the reconstruction surgery of the windpipe to treat a structural or functional deformity or a malignancy.
• Oesophageal Dilation - Oesophageal dilation is the procedure which is used by healthcare professionals to dilate the oesophagus.
• Arytenoid Abduction - It is the procedure used to treat vocal cord paralysis surgically.
• Microlaryngoscopy - It is an advanced imaging modality used for assessing and treating conditions of the vocal cords.
• Thyroplasty - Thyroplasty is a surgical procedure in which the position of the vocal cord is changed to improve the voice.
• Vocal Cord Surgery - It is the surgery used to treat patients with different issues of vocal cords, such as vocal cord paralysis, laryngeal stenosis, etc.
• Fibreoptic and Rigid Laryngoscopic Procedure - Rigid laryngoscopic procedure is the procedure in which the doctor directly looks into the larynx. In Fibreoptic laryngoscopy, a small flexible scope is used which is passed through the nose to the throat.