Care at NUH

Laryngology and Swallowing

2024/06/21

The Laryngology & Swallowing subspecialty specialises in the evaluation and management of throat, voice and swallowing disorders. These include services for patients with voice misuse and abuse, vocal cord paralysis, cancer of the larynx and swallowing difficulties related to conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Patients with such disorders are evaluated by our laryngologist and a team of dedicated Speech Therapists who specialise in speech and swallowing rehabilitation.

Laryngeal conditions

The voice and swallowingclinic provides diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for conditions relating to the throat, voice, and swallowing.

  • Laryngitis (acute and chronic)
  • Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Chronic cough
  • Hoarseness
  • Sore throat
  • Occupational and professional voice problem
  • Benign vocal cord lesions (vocal cord nodules, polyps, cysts)
  • Vocal cord tumours
  • Laryngeal cancer
  • Early throat and vocal cord cancers
  • Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty)
  • Poor vocal projection/soft voice
  • Vocal fatigue
  • Pain on speaking and swallowing
  • Reduced/limited pitch range
Office-based Investigations
  • Voice assessment
  • Videostroboscopy
  • Transnasal esophagoscopy
  • Fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing (FEES)
  • Videofluoroscopy
Speech Therapies
  • Voice and speech therapy and rehabilitation
  • Psychological therapy in specific voice or swallowing-related disorders
  • Swallowing therapy & rehabilitation
  • Preventative swallowing program for patients undergoing radiotherapy
  • Interdisciplinary assessment with our trained speech therapists
Treatment Options

Diagnostic procedures and treatments that can be performed in the clinic:

  • Nasoendoscopy of the larynx
  • Stroboscopy to visualise the vocal cords
  • Trans-Nasal Esophagoscopy (TNE)
  • Swallowing assessment ie: Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)
  • Injection medialisation thyroplasty
  • Botulium injection to the laryngeal muscles
Common Surgical Procedures
  • Clinic-based laryngeal injections including vocal fold augmentation and botulinum toxin (botox)
  • Microlaryngeal surgery (microscopic surgery to the larynx)
  • Surgery for unilateral and bilateral vocal paralysis
  • Laser surgery including early laryngeal cancer and laryngeal papilloma
  • Secondary tracheoesophageal puncture for speech post-laryngectomy
  • Endoscopic laser treatment and dilatation of laryngeal stenosis
  • Surgical treatment of dysphagia including cricopharyngeal dilatation and endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy
  • Surgery for muscle-related voice disorders e.g. spasmodic dysphonia
  • Endolaryngeal microsurgery (ELMS)
  • Biopsy/excision of laryngeal tumours
  • Injection of Botulium to the laryngeal muscles or cricopharyngeus
  • Injection medialisation thyroplasty
  • Thyroplasty procedures including:
    • Open medialisation thyroplasty
    • Feminisation glottoplasty and shaving of the thyroid cartilage
Doctors

Dr Ker Liang

Visiting Consultant

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