Laryngoscopy

Before your laryngoscopy

Be sure your doctor knows about any medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, and supplements, as well as if you have allergies to any medicines.

You might be asked to stop taking blood-thinning medicines, including aspirin, for several days before the test to reduce the risk of bleeding. Your doctor might also ask you to adjust or stop other medicines as well, such as those for diabetes. If you normally take prescription medicines in the morning, talk with your doctor or nurse about how to manage them on the day of your test.

For rigid laryngoscopy, you might be told not to eat or drink anything for at least several hours before the procedure. For flexible laryngoscopy, you might be able to eat and drink like normal. Your doctor or nurse will give you specific instructions. Be sure to follow them and to ask questions if there’s anything you don’t understand.

Making a transportation plan

For rigid laryngoscopy, you will be under general anesthesia. Because of this, you will need to arrange for a ride home after the test. You might be sleepy or dizzy and need someone to help you get safely into your home, so a cab or rideshare service might not be a good option. Some centers will not allow you to use a cab or rideshare after this procedure.

If transportation or help getting home might be a problem, talk with your health care provider. There might be other resources available, depending on the situation.

During your laryngoscopy

Laryngoscopy can usually be done as an outpatient procedure, where you don’t need to stay overnight in a hospital. Your doctor will review the procedure with you and ask you to sign a consent form. If you wear dentures, you might be asked to remove them.

After your laryngoscopy

After the procedure, you will be watched closely for any problems. If you had a sedative, you might not remember the procedure.

If you had the procedure as an outpatient, you should be able to go home after a few hours. If you were given a sedative, someone will need to drive you home and stay with you until it wears off. Your doctor or nurse will give you specific instructions to follow after the test, including when to start taking medicines again that might have been stopped for the procedure.

Your mouth and throat might be numb afterward, so you won't be allowed to eat or drink right away. Once the numbness wears off, you might have a sore throat, a cough, which might contain some blood at first, or hoarseness for a day or so.

If biopsies were taken, test results are usually ready within a few days, although some might take longer. You will need to follow up with your doctor after the procedure to get your results.

Possible risks of laryngoscopy

Laryngoscopy is usually safe, but there is a small risk of certain complications.

Bleeding: If a biopsy was done, a small amount of bleeding could happen where the doctor removed tissue samples. If the laryngoscope was passed into your nose, you might also have a nosebleed.

Hoarseness: Sometimes, you might have a raspy voice or temporary hoarseness caused by irritation of the voice box. This usually improves after a few days.

Laryngospasm: In rare cases, the throat muscles can suddenly tighten up after the procedure, which can make it hard to breathe. This goes away quickly with treatment.

Injury to tongue, lips, voice box, teeth, or nearby tissues: Sometimes, damage to the surrounding tissues and organs can happen during the procedure. Depending on the site where it occurred, this can result in hoarseness or difficulty swallowing, pain, bleeding, or chipped teeth. This is more common with rigid laryngoscopy.

Drug reactions: Sometimes the drugs used to help you relax and stay comfortable during the test can cause changes in blood pressure, confusion, dizziness, or even an allergic reaction. You will be watched closely for any medicine side effects, and they will be treated if needed.

Infection: Rarely, an infection in the throat can occur after the procedure.

Before you go home, your doctor or nurse should give you specific instructions on when you might need to call the doctor’s office for problems. In general, these include:

• Severe throat pain
• Trouble swallowing that is unusual for you
• Fever
• Voice changes that are new
• Hoarseness lasting for more than a few days

Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have:  

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Bleeding that does not stop

Be sure you understand what you should watch out for, the possible timing of when problems might occur, and when you should call about problems.