A small amount of topical anesthetic is placed into the mouth and nose and either a thin flexible fiberoptic scope is passed through the nose or a short scope is placed into the mouth to view the larynx. Various speech tasks are performed and a video recording is made which is later shared with the patient and then kept as part of the patient’s file for comparison with future examinations. When indicated, the laryngeal examination is complemented by a swallowing evaluation where a small amount of food is viewed as it goes down the throat, past the vocal folds, and into the esophagus. The examination takes approximately 10 minutes.

Depending on your presenting problem, several additional diagnostic tests may be ordered at your initial visit:

• Barium Swallow: An x-ray that looks at the swallowing mechanism further down in the esophagus.



• CT Scan: A computerized image of the neck which allows the physician to look more closely at the structure of the vocal folds, larynx and surrounding areas as they may relate to voice production and swallowing.



• Laryngeal electromyography: An examination of the electrical activity of the vocal folds which can be correlated to the videostroboscopy examination findings. This test is performed by the laryngologist in the office without intravenous or general anesthesia. A small amount of topical anesthetic may be placed on the skin and in the trachea or “windpipe”. A very fine needle is passed into the vocal fold through the neck skin near the Adam’s apple and the patient is asked to say various sentences while the muscle activity is observed on a computer screen. This test is often done in conjunction with a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the nervous system and nerve-muscle pathways. The entire examination lasts about thirty minutes and patients may drive themselves home.

The advent of videostroboscopy has greatly aided the laryngologist in diagnosing voice disorders by allowing for slow-motion recorded video examination of the larynx. This specialized technology allows the laryngologist to magnify and slow down the rapid oscillations of the delicate vocal folds in order to analyze vibratory patterns, glottic closure and efficiency of voice production.