Laryngoscopy is examination of the larynx (voice box) using either a small mirror held against the back of your palate, or a viewing tube called a laryngoscope.

What a Laryngoscopy is used for

Surgery or surgery combined with radiation may be recommended for newly diagnosed patients, or for those in which the tumor has not responded to radiation.

General information about Laryngoscopy

During this operation, the surgeon performs a tracheostomy, an opening in the front of the neck through to the trachea (air passage to the lungs). A tube, called a trach, keeps this new airway open. A partial laryngectomy involves removal of only part of the voice box, and after recovery from the surgery, the trach tube is removed. The patient's ability to speak is preserved; the voice however, may be hoarse or weak. In a total laryngectomy, the whole voice box is removed , and the patient, referred to as a laryngectomee, breathes through the opening in his neck, called a stoma.