Endolaryngeal Microsurgery (Vocal Cord Polyps and Nodules)

Endolaryngeal microsurgery, also called microlaryngoscopy or phonosurgery, removes small benign growths from the vocal cords: polyps, cysts, stubborn nodules, Reinke's oedema and papillomas. The surgeon works through the mouth under a microscope, with no external cuts. Myringoplasty, which this page title once also named, is eardrum repair and is covered on the tympanoplasty page.

The aim is a clearer, less effortful voice and a tissue diagnosis. Surgery does not correct the voice habits that often caused the lesion, which is why voice therapy before and after matters as much as the operation.

What Endolaryngeal Microsurgery (Vocal Cord Polyps and Nodules) involves

You are fully asleep with a narrow breathing tube. A rigid hollow metal tube, the laryngoscope, is passed over the tongue to expose the vocal cords and is held in a fixed position. Looking through an operating microscope, the surgeon uses instruments around 20 cm long with tips of 1 to 2 mm. A tiny cut is made beside the lesion, the polyp or cyst is lifted off the underlying vocal ligament, and the healthy lining is preserved and laid back. A CO2 or other laser may be used instead of cold instruments. Every specimen is sent for pathology.

Who is a good candidate for Endolaryngeal Microsurgery (Vocal Cord Polyps and Nodules)?

Surgery is considered after a voice specialist has examined the cords with stroboscopy.

• A vocal cord polyp or cyst, which rarely resolve with therapy alone
• Nodules that persist after at least 6 to 8 weeks of proper voice therapy
• Reinke's oedema in a smoker who has stopped smoking
• Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis
• Any suspicious patch that needs biopsy, especially in smokers with hoarseness lasting over 3 weeks

It is usually not the right choice if:

• Soft nodules in singers, teachers or children, which usually respond to voice therapy
• People who cannot rest their voice afterwards
• Continuing smokers with Reinke's oedema, in whom it returns
• Severe neck stiffness or limited mouth opening, which may prevent exposure of the larynx
• Hoarseness due to muscle tension or nerve paralysis, which needs different treatment

الخيارات التقنية

• Cold steel microflap surgery: Micro-scissors and forceps preserve the delicate vibrating layer. Standard for polyps and cysts.
• CO2 or KTP laser: Useful for papillomas, blood vessel lesions and selected early cancers.
• Office-based laser or injection: Selected lesions can be treated awake through a flexible scope under local anaesthetic.
• Microdebrider: Used for bulky papillomas.

ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك

The procedure lasts 20 to 45 minutes under general anaesthetic and is normally a day case. Afterwards you may have a sore throat, a tender tongue or jaw from the laryngoscope, and a rough voice. Pain is usually mild.

الإعداد لرحلتك

Plan for 5 to 7 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.

• Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
• Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
• Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
• Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly

التعافي والنتائج

Most surgeons ask for strict voice rest for 2 to 7 days: no talking, whispering or throat clearing. Voice use is then built up gradually under a speech and language therapist. Drink plenty, avoid smoke and treat any acid reflux. The voice is often worse before it is better and takes 4 to 8 weeks to settle; professional voice users may need 2 to 3 months before full performance. Desk work can resume in a few days if it involves little speaking.

• Back to everyday activity: Voice rest up to 1 week; light voice use for a month
• When results show: Voice settles over 4 to 8 weeks
• How long they last: Durable if the cause is addressed

سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح

The vocal cord lining is only fractions of a millimetre thick, so the main risk is scarring.

• Scarring of the vocal cord with a permanently rough or weak voice
• Recurrence, especially if voice habits, smoking or reflux continue
• Chipped or loosened teeth from the laryngoscope
• Temporary numbness of the tongue or altered taste
• Airway swelling or bleeding, which is rare
• An unexpected pathology result needing further treatment

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of Endolaryngeal Microsurgery (Vocal Cord Polyps and Nodules) in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Endolaryngeal Microsurgery (Vocal Cord Polyps and Nodules), because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• Cold instruments versus laser
• One or both vocal cords
• Stroboscopy and voice assessment beforehand
• Voice therapy sessions, which are best continued at home in your own language
• Pathology

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

الأسئلة المتكررة