Cost Analysis of Channeled, Distal Chip Laryngoscope for In-office Laryngopharyngeal Biopsies

In-Office Balloon Dilation for Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis: A Pilot Study

ImportanceIdiopathic subglottic stenosis is a debilitating and recurrent disease, often requiring reintervention. Balloon dilation is a well-recognized, minimally invasive treatment to alleviate symptoms, and is typically performed in the operating room. In-office balloon dilation in the awake patient has rarely been reported, and may obviate the need for general anesthesia in this patient population.ObjectiveThis study aims to detail the safety and efficacy of in-office balloon dilation for mild to moderate subglottic stenosis.DesignMixed-methods study.SettingSingle tertiary-care institution in Montreal, Canada.Participants and InterventionAll adult patients with Cotton-Myer Grade I-II idiopathic subglottic stenosis undergoing in-office balloon dilation between June 1, 2022 and August 1, 2023 were prospectively recruited.Main Outcome MeasuresPre- and post-procedure validated dyspnea and voice scales, airway diameter and spirometry values were obtained. Patient- and physician-reported adverse events were thoroughly documented.ResultsEleven patients underwent in-office balloon dilation during the study period (F:M 10:1, mean age 55.8 years). The median Dyspnea Index and voice handicap index-10 scores both significantly decreased following the procedure. In-office balloon dilation improved airway patency, with an estimated median of 40% to 10% stenosis (median difference -25%, 95% CI (-45, -15), P = .003). The normalized peak expiratory flow percentage significantly increased from a median of 62% to 99% (median difference 27%, 95% CI (19, 40), P = .004). The median time to regular activities was one day. Six patients having previously undergone the procedure under general anesthesia indicated a preference for in-office dilation. There were no severe adverse events.Conclusion and RelevanceIn-office balloon dilation is a safe and effective option for the management of mild-moderate idiopathic subglottic stenosis, with demonstrated improvement in both patient-reported outcomes and objective measures.

Environmental Sustainability: Waste Audit Comparison Operating Roomand In-Office Laryngeal Surgery

INTRODUCTION

With vast improvements in imaging and endoscopic technology, there has been a massive shift towards in office procedures for various laryngeal disorders with significant health system and patient benefits. Another benefit which has yet to be investigated is the potential environmental effects and waste reduction of in-office laryngeal procedures over traditional operating room surgery.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to perform a waste audit and compare the results between operating room and in-office laser laryngeal surgery.

METHODS

Ten cases of in-office and operating room laser laryngeal surgery, performed for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, were subjected to a waste audit with four waste streams identified. Recyclable, general waste, anesthesia source and sharps. All waste was included from the time of case preparation to termination.

RESULTS

The cases were extremely homogeneous in the waste produced. The mean waste total produced for the operating room laser surgery was 2972 g of which 18% was recoverable/recyclable. Contamination rate was very low. Recycling was performed very well by nursing/prep staff; however, anesthesia was not recovering 13% of potential materials. The in-office waste produced was approximately one tenth of the operating room waste with almost all delegated into general waste. Potentially divertible/recyclable materials accounted for 38% of the waste in-office procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

In-office laryngeal procedures produce 13% of waste compared to surgery performed for similar pathology. These procedures are cost effective, safe and have been demonstrated to enhance environmental sustainability.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA Laryngoscope, 134:803-806, 2024.

Prospective cohort study assessing patient satisfaction and diagnostic accuracy in channeled endoscope local anesthetic biopsy in the investigation of head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND

There are delays in the head and neck Urgent Suspicion of Cancer (USOC) pathway. Local anesthetic (LA) biopsy with channeled endoscopes in outpatients can reduce time to diagnosis.

METHODS

Questionnaire-based prospective study of LA or general anesthetic (GA) biopsy for investigation of cancer from September 2021 to July 2022.

RESULTS

100% (n = 48) were very satisfied or satisfied with their overall experience. 71% (n = 20) of LA patients reported they would prefer to have a biopsy under LA. LA biopsy was 68% sensitive and 100% specific for cancer diagnosis. 28.6% (8) and 10% (2) of LA and GA patients had palliative MDT outcomes. Median time to diagnosis was 44.5 and 49.0 days for LA and GA biopsy, respectively.

CONCLUSION

LA biopsy had a high satisfaction rate and is sensitive for diagnosing cancer. LA biopsy can expedite treatment pathways. LA biopsy should be considered as an option for first line investigation.

A systematic review on efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of office-based laryngeal biopsy

OBJECTIVE

Laryngeal cancer is the second most prevalent head and neck malignancy in the USA. With recent advances in technology, this procedure is increasingly performed under local anaesthesia. This study aimed to identify the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of laryngeal biopsy in out-patients by conducting a systematic review.

METHOD

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar and Embase over a 20-year period. Inclusion criteria were: studies performed on out-patient diagnostic biopsy procedures of the larynx. Exclusion criteria included all therapeutic procedures. The outcome measures were sensitivity and specificity, complication rate and cost-savings.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies were included in the analysis. The sensitivity and specificity varied from 60 to 100 per cent with a low complication rate and cost savings.

CONCLUSION

Office-based laryngeal biopsies are increasingly used in the diagnosis of laryngeal cancers, resulting in earlier diagnosis and commencement of treatment. The barrier to undertaking this procedure is low sensitivity.

Diagnostic Usefulness of Flexible Fibroscopy Biopsy in Suspected Lesions of the Otolaryngological Area

The efficiency in the management of patients with suspected malignant lesions represents the main objective of the oncology of head and neck. Flexible nasopahyngolaryngoscopy with working channel allows to quickly and safely assess and obtain histological samples of this type of lesion. Our objective is to describe the usefulness of this technique in lesions suggestive of malignancy in terms of efficiency, sensitivity and specificity. A retrospective study was carried out over a period of time from December 2014 to December 2019, including patients biopsied with flexible fibroscopy of lesions of debut suspected of malignancy. Here we assess the location of the lesion, the histological results, the diagnostic time and the epidemiological variables. 104 patients were included in the study. More than half of the lesions, 55.2% (57), were located in the larynx; 57.7% (60) resulted positive for malignancy in the flexible fiberscope biopsy; 19.2% (20) were taken to the operating room to get biopsied under general anesthesia resulting in 7.4% (14) positive for malignancy, which shows a sensitivity of the test of 81%. In our sample, a diagnostic time of 15 days was obtained. Considering our results, the few complications and the revised literature, flexible fiberscope biopsy with working channel is an efficient procedure for the management of oncological patients of head and neck.

A systematic review: impact of in-office biopsy on safety and waiting times in head and neck cancer

Objective

This study aimed to assess the current literature on the safety and impact of in-office biopsy on cancer waiting times as well as review evidence regarding cost-efficacy and patient satisfaction.

Method

A search of Cinahl, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, Prospero, PubMed and Web of Science was conducted for papers relevant to this study. Included articles were quality assessed and critically appraised.

Results

Of 19 741 identified studies, 22 articles were included. Lower costs were consistently reported for in-office biopsy compared with operating room biopsy. Four complications requiring intervention were documented. In-office biopsy is highly tolerated, with a procedure abandonment rate of less than 1 per cent. When compared with operating room biopsy, it is associated with significantly reduced time-to-diagnosis and time-to-treatment initiation. It is linked to improved overall three-year survival.

Conclusion

In-office biopsy is a safe procedure that may help certain patients avoid general anaesthetic. It was shown to significantly reduce time-to-diagnosis and time-to-treatment initiation when compared with operating room biopsy. This may have important implications for oncological outcomes. In-office biopsy requires fewer resources and is likely to be cost-saving five-years following introduction. With high rates of sensitivity and specificity, in-office biopsy should be considered as the first-line procedure to achieve tissue diagnosis.

Diagnostic Accuracy Outcomes of Office-Based (Outpatient) Biopsies in patients with Laryngopharyngeal Lesions: A Systematic Review

Background

In‐office biopsies (IOB) using local anaesthetic for laryngopharyngeal tumours has become an increasingly popular approach since the advent of distal chip endoscopes. Although a wide range of studies advocate use in clinical practice, the widespread application of the procedure is hampered by concerns regarding diagnostic accuracy.

Objective

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of IOB performed via flexible endoscopy. In addition, to analyse modifiable factors that may affect diagnostic accuracy of IOB.

Design

A systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines was conducted. PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CINAHL were used in the literature database search. Quality assessment of included studies was perfomed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale.

Results

A total of 875 studies were identified, 16 of which were included into the systematic review; 1572 successful biopsies were performed using flexible endoscopy; 1283 cases were accurately diagnosed in the outpatient setting (81.6%) and 289 samples did not provide an accurate diagnosis (18.4%). The median sensitivity of IOB was 73%, and the specificity was 96.7%. Analysis of variable factors did not show any significant differences in method of approach, size of equipment (forceps) and additional lighting system or learning curve.

Conclusion

IOB are a viable tool for diagnostic workup of laryngopharyngeal tumours. Clinicians should be wary of reported limitations of IOB when benign or pre‐malignant diagnoses are made. In cases suspicious of malignancy, confirmatory investigation should be conducted.

Laryngeal Leukoplakia: State of the Art Review

Objective

This state-of-the-art article reviews the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of vocal fold leukoplakia, with focus on recent advances. It focuses on the clinical challenges that otolaryngologists face balancing both oncological efficacy and functional outcomes in leukoplakia and presents the current philosophies and techniques to consider when managing such patients.

Data Sources

PubMed/MEDLINE.

Review Methods

We conducted a detailed review of publications related to vocal cord and laryngeal leukoplakia, dysplasia, hyperkeratosis, leukoplakia endoscopy, and leukoplakia management focusing specifically on oncologic outcomes, voice preservation, current and emerging diagnosis, and management techniques.

Conclusions

There has been a paradigm shift away from performing “vocal cord stripping” procedures that can cause irreversible hoarseness toward voice preservation surgery while achieving comparable oncologic control. Surgical technical and instrumental developments have been designed to maximally treat superficial disease while preserving underling vibratory mucosa. Recent improvements in histopathological grading systems and advances in biomarker classification may allow for improved oncologic risk stratification. Furthermore, improvements in endoscopic imaging capabilities and contact endoscopy are currently being studied for their potential diagnostic significance.

Implications for Practice

To optimally manage vocal fold leukoplakia, the otolaryngologist should become familiar with the oncologic implications of the disease and the importance of obtaining pathologic diagnosis to rule out malignancy. In addition, the surgeon should maintain surgical techniques and knowledge of available instruments and lasers that can assist in surgical management while prioritizing the preservation of vibratory tissue and voice quality. Finally, the surgeon and the patient should understand the clinical importance of routine endoscopic surveillance.

Office-based laryngology: Technical and visual optimization by patient-positioning maneuvers

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS

To qualitatively and quantitatively assess the effect of discrete head postures/maneuvers during flexible laryngoscopy on visualization of specific anatomical structures within the laryngopharynx.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective, observational study.

METHODS

Flexible laryngoscopy was performed on 18 sequential patients. Videos of the laryngopharynx were captured during the neutral head position and five discrete maneuvers: maximal sniffing, head extension, right turn, left turn, and chin down. Images were analyzed using ImageJ, and differences in the (normalized) anatomical areas of interest were examined with each maneuver (paired t test]. Covariates for surgeon, nostril, and gender were evaluated.

RESULTS

There was a significantly increased (P = 0.009) area of view of the anterior space (petiole of epiglottis/anterior laryngeal vestibule) with head extension. Right head turn led to a significantly increased view of the left pyriform sinus (P = 0.00001), whereas left head turn yielded an increased view of the right pyriform sinus (P = 0.0001). The right and left vocal fold/ventricle were better visualized during right head turn (with the scope traversing the right nostril) and left head turn (with the scope traversing the left nostril), respectively. Chin-down posture achieved a more distal view of the airway more frequently than the other maneuvers.

CONCLUSION

The anterior space (supraglottic larynx) may be best visualized and accessed with head extension. Right and left head turn improve visualization of the contralateral piriform sinus. Chin down provides improved airway visualization in a plurality of patients. Future studies examining maneuvers are warranted to create a catalog of validated techniques to optimize the efficacy of the office-based proceduralist.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

2 Laryngoscope, 129:330-334, 2019.