Feasibility and Associated Limitations of Office-Based Laryngeal Surgery Using Carbon Dioxide Lasers.

Abstract

Office-based laryngeal surgery, including intralesional corticosteroid injection, injection laryngoplasty, and laryngeal laser surgery, have become increasingly popular in recent years.^1-3 These types of surgical procedures are less precise than those involving general anesthesia; however, they appear to be a worthwhile alternative treatment option based on their low cost and low morbidity rates.^3,4 Photoangiolytic lasers, such as the 585-nm pulsed-dye laser and the 532-nm potassium titanyl phosphate laser, have been widely used in office-based laryngeal surgical procedures. Indeed, previous studies^3,5-9 have reported successful treatment of multiple types of vocal lesions, including papilloma, vocal process granuloma, ectasia, varix, polyp, Reinke edema, and glottal dysplasia, using these methods. The angiolytic properties of the aforementioned lasers shrink lesions through photothermolysis⁹; however, outcomes are hard to anticipate immediately after the procedure owing to the fact that disease regression can take several weeks.¹⁰