In-office use of lasers in the larynx

The utility of office-based laryngeal surgery has greatly expanded in recent decades due to a variety of technological advances including flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopes with operative channels and the evolution of laser technology. The indications for laser procedures and the various laser types have also grown from the traditional pulsed dye, 532-nm pulsed potassium titanyl phosphate, and carbon dioxide lasers to include the newer blue light and thulium lasers. Our objective was to review the evolution of office-based laryngeal laser procedures, the benefits and drawbacks of different laser types, and the procedural steps for performing laser procedures under local anesthesia in the office setting.