Proposed laryngoscopy: how does the ENT doctor examine the vocal cords?

New breathlessness without respiratory distress needs medical assessment the same day. In France, call 15 or 112 immediately if it prevents you from finishing sentences or comes with bluish lips or changes in alertness. Difficulty swallowing or blood in sputum with hoarseness also needs medical advice without waiting for the planned examination.

Laryngoscopy lets the ENT doctor examine the larynx and vocal cords. It provides information about their appearance and movement. Assurance Maladie describes it in the assessment of a changed voice, after the medical history and examination. Ask which question this examination is intended to address in your assessment.

The indirect laryngoscopy described by Ameli uses a small mirror at the back of the throat and a light source. The doctor may ask you to make sounds to observe the vocal cords' movement. This is part of the examination; it is not an instruction to strain your voice before the appointment.

Ameli also describes a flexible scope, a thin tube passed through a nostril to examine the throat, larynx and vocal cords. In the examination described, a local anaesthetic is sprayed beforehand. Clarify which technique is planned and its instructions instead of assuming that every laryngoscopy follows the same procedure.

Some lesions may lead the doctor to plan biopsies. Looking at an area and having a sample analysed are different stages of the assessment. Ask whether samples are being considered and how their results will be explained. The proposal of laryngoscopy alone does not establish which cause will be found.

Depending on the clinical question, imaging or a phoniatric assessment of vocal cord function may be added. Clarify what the visual examination has shown and what remains to be examined. Before the appointment, ask for the team's instructions; afterwards, identify the doctor who will discuss the report and the planned next steps with you.