Your Recovery
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.
This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace. Follow the steps below to feel better as quickly as possible.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter D740 in the search box to learn more about "Direct Rigid Laryngoscopy: What to Expect at Home".