Nasendoscopy

What is a nasendoscopy?

A nasendoscopy is a procedure used to examine your child’s nasal passage, back of the tongue, larynx (voice box) and vocal cords. It involves passing a thin, flexible tube (nasendoscope) with a small video camera on the end through the nostril. The tube is gently guided down the throat and nasal passage to record images and help diagnose any problems.

Why have this procedure?

Your ENT surgeon may recommend this procedure to check for any problems in your child’s nasal passage or throat that may be causing pain or recurrent problems. It provides the clearest view and most valuable information to help guide your child’s treatment.

What is involved in this procedure?

Your child will sit upright in a chair for their nasendoscopy. You may be asked to hold your child to help them feel comfortable and relaxed. The endoscope is very small (2.9 mm in diameter) and does not hurt, but it may feel a bit strange. Sometimes we will use a local anaesthetic spray to numb the inside of the nose and throat. Our doctors are very experienced at making children feel comfortable throughout the procedure.

Your child will be asked to poke their tongue out and make sounds like ‘eeee’ while we look and record the images on screen. This only takes a couple of minutes.

What should I expect after surgery?

If your child has had anaesthetic spray it’s best to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes afterwards so they don’t bite their tongue or mouth by mistake.

Where will my child have surgery?

We usually perform nasendoscopy procedures in our clinic with no need to go to hospital. We may combine a nasendoscopy procedure as part of an ENT surgery, in which case the procedure is performed in hospital, usually at the same time.