A new video laryngo-pharyngoscope with shape-holding coiled tube and surgical forceps: a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
We developed a new video laryngo-pharyngoscope with a shape-holding coiled tube and examined its effectiveness in some patients.


METHODS
The video laryngo-pharyngoscope is designed to inspect the pharynx and larynx transorally and to perform surgical manipulations. The scope consists of a coiled tube, a grip with trigger connected to the forceps and a CCD Camera with a battery. The stainless coiled tube of the scope is flexible but shape-holding, so that its shape can be changed by hand with the characteristic that the new orientation remains invariable during both inspection and operation in the pharynx and larynx. After a local anesthesia, the operator holds the scope in one hand and pulls the patient's tongue by the other hand. The operator then inserted the scope transorally while monitoring video images that were wirelessly transferred to the display to ensure that the forceps has reached the area of interest and treated lesions successfully.


RESULTS
Using the scope, we successfully examined the upper airway lesions and removed foreign bodies from the pharynx and performed both resection of a benign tumor and taking a biopsy of a malignant tumor from the pharynx and larynx. But, we could hardly remove vocal fold polyps because of the structural limitation of the scope.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that the new video laryngo-pharyngoscope can be used safely and successfully in the inspection and removal of lesions in the oropharynx and supraglottic area of the larynx and will be a useful tool for minimally invasive office-based surgery.
Tamura
Koichi
K
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
Kim
Masanobu
M
Abe
Koji
K
Toda
Naoki
N
Jinouchi
Osamu
O
Kalubi
Bukasa
B
Takeda
Noriaki
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D020704:Laryngoscopes; D007830:Larynx / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010614:Pharynx / Q000473:pathology; D011127:Polyps / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery / Q000295:instrumentation*