Office-based foreign-body management using videoendoscope.

BACKGROUND

The videoendoscope has a small charge-coupled device (CCD) chip built into its tip that provides a clear image. This report concerns office-based pharyngeal and laryngeal foreign-body management using a videoendoscope.

METHODS

Three types of videoendoscopes (videoendoscopes equipped with and also without a hood at their tips and a rigid videoendoscope) were used in this study. Seventeen patients who complained of pharyngeal and laryngeal foreign bodies were treated with these videoendoscopes.

RESULTS

The advantages of this intervention were (1) videoendoscopes presented clear dynamic color images on a color video monitor and provided excellent resolution and recording and thus yielded high diagnostic accuracy and fine intervention; (2) the videoendoscope's diameter was relatively small and resulted in less discomfort for patients, even for children; (3) patients could be examined and treated in a sitting position on a procedure chair at the otolaryngology outpatient clinic, which obviated general anesthesia; (4) the videoendoscope equipped with a hood enabled treatment in a closed cavity like the hypopharynx; (5) minute foreign bodies located at the portion of the pharynx, which were hard to examine, could be depicted clearly; (6) pernasal endoscopy allowed the doctor to examine patients who had a strong gag reflex; and (7) good image documentation on the color video monitor allowed the physician to carry out safe intervention. A disadvantage of this procedure was that the extraction of different kinds of foreign bodies was limited, but it depended in part on the efficacy of the forceps.

CONCLUSION

Foreign-body extraction using a videoendoscope is one of the reliable procedures that has widened the indications for office-based endoscopy.