Q: The vocal cords have long polyps for many years, and the voice is hoarse. The doctor suggested an operation. But recently, we have seen the latest technology "fine needle injection therapy". You really don't need surgery? A: Luo Shengdian, Director of Otolaryngology.
Vocal polyp is not like vocal nodule (commonly known as vocal cocoon), and conservative language therapy sometimes does not work as expected, so the recommended treatment is surgery. As for fine needle injection therapy, it refers to percutaneous steroid injection, which can indeed be used as a treatment choice or alternative therapy, and most patients will improve subjectively and objectively after injection.
However, this method must choose a doctor who is familiar with the anatomical location, so as not to cause errors in the injection site, resulting in discounted results or even sequelae. Moreover, the current statistics show that only about 50% patients will have polyps disappeared after injection, even if their voices have improved significantly after evaluation. Therefore, only by communicating with clinicians can we find the most suitable way for ourselves.
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A new study in South Korea confirms that one-third of patients with vocal cord polyps will recover on their own. The research team of Pantang Hospital of Seoul National University selected a group of 248 patients with vocal cord polyps who were referred to the medical center, and came to the conclusion that they should be observed for a period of time instead of undergoing surgery immediately.
The results showed that among 94 patients who received conservative treatment and observation for at least three months, 46% of the polyps were significantly reduced, and 38% of the patients were completely cured without surgery. Among the polyps that healed by themselves, 44% healed in 3 months and 8 1% in 8 months.
Among them, women, patients with small vocal cord polyps and short symptom time are more likely to heal themselves. The study was published online in Journal of American Medical Association-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.
Vocal polyp is a benign lesion, and patients often decide to remove it immediately or observe it for a period of time according to their personal preference or tolerance.
But the new research results will not affect how patients deal with it, but tell patients that they can have other choices. Dr. Lucian Sulica, a laryngologist at Cornell University's Weill Medical College in the United States, said that patients who try their best to avoid cutting now know that there is a 30-40% chance of self-healing; People who take voice as their profession, such as singers or teachers, can choose to wait for three months, and there is a 60% chance to reconsider whether to have surgery.