IS IT POSSIBILE TO CURE TONSILS WITH A LASER SURERY AND OBTAIN GOOD RESULTS WITHOUT THE RISKS OF USING A SCALPEL?

 

The laser treatment with local anaesthesia that is made on the superficial part of the tonsils (superficial assisted laser tonsillar laminectomy) allows to eliminate the symptoms in the chronic non-focal tonsillitis and to remove the tonsil stones that are often responsible for halitosis (bad breath).

To cure tonsils, the laminectomy laser surgery is indicated as a valid alternative to traditional surgery with scalpel in those cases where the Doctor indicates the opportunity to do so.

The surgery is ambulatory and no recovery is required. It occurs with local anaesthesia under constant visual or endoscopic monitoring. The laser light reduces progressively the size of the palatine tonsils, vaporizing the superficial area that is the mucous membrane that reacts to infections and that is responsible for the painful symptomatology of the throat.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SCALPEL AND THE LASER?

Even though the scalpel is an appropriate cutting tool, the laser allows a more precise incision of the tissues without any bleeding, pain and a faster healing without any complications.

ARE THERE ANY RISKS WITH THE LASER?

The laser doesn’t have any particular risks. The latest machinery are equipped with a series of computerized and manual safety systems that interact together and that allow to carry out a safe and efficient surgery.

IS LASER SURGERY PAINFUL?

One of the biggest advantages of laser surgery is the almost complete disappearance of pain. The laser vaporization of the tissues is less painful for the body and therefore less painful compared to the other techniques used in traditional surgery.

CAN THE LASER CAUSE ANY BLEEDING DURING AND AFTER THE SURGERY?

The laser light while incising and vaporizing at the same time the tissues immediately coagulates blood vessels. This way, the risks of bleeding are almost eliminated. During nasal surgeries (turbinates, sinuses, polyps, tonsils) the necessity to have a painful tampon is eliminated.

ARE LASER SURGERY RESULTS LONG-LASTING?

The follow-up (check-up on patients after a time from the surgery) allows us to say that the results with laser surgery are quite long-lasting.

IS LOCAL OR GENERAL ANAESTHESIA NEEDED FOR LASER SURGERY?

Almost all laser surgeries are made with local anaesthesia and have the following advantages: possibility to manage the treatment in the day hospital, without recovery, with a limited stay in the hospital of a few hours, absence of vomit, fast post-surgery process and possibility to quickly go back to work.

DOES LOCAL ANAESTHESIA HAVE ANY RISKS?

The risks of doing a local anaesthesia during a laser surgery are similar to the ones you can have when you go to the dentist’s. The difference is that in some surgeries the anaesthesia is made applying the anaesthetic medicine on the tissues without any injection.

IS LOCAL ANAESTHESIA BEFORE LASER SURGERY PAINFUL?

The administration of the anaesthetic solution is almost painless.

WHAT ARE THE FEELINGS AFTER A LASER SURGERY?

In the majority of cases the post-surgery process is excellent; in rare cases the patient might have some mild discomfort (tenderness, swelling or reddening) that lasts for only a few hours.

IS RECOVERY NECESSARY WHEN DOING A LASER SURGERY?

Almost all laser surgeries are day-hospital, in facilities equipped with all safety systems, without any need of recovery.

AFTER LASER SURGERY IS IT NECESSARY TO TAKE A SICK-LEAVE AT WORK AND/OR TO DO A MANDATORY RECOVERY PERIOD?

In most cases, the patient can start working immediately but one or two days with a moderate physical activity are recommended.

A cura del Dott. Alessandro Valieri, Specialista in Otorinolaringoiatria, Bologna