Introduction
Suspension laryngoscopy (SL) is a staple procedure in otolaryngology which facilitates bimanual laryngeal instrumentation under direct vision, thus permitting microlaryngeal surgery using a wide variety of surgical techniques including cold steel excision, laser and radiofrequency ablation. With a careful and standardized approach, SL is usually efficient and bloodless with minimal post-procedure discomfort following reversal of general anesthesia (1). As with every procedure, there are recognized complications, the rates of which vary widely in the global literature. A distinction can be made between minor or temporary complications, which are generally localized to the oropharynx (such as pain, mucosal abrasions or bruising, dental pain or temporary tongue symptoms), and much rarer serious or permanent complications (such as airway swelling, major cardiovascular instability, dental loss or permanent tongue symptoms).
Multiple preoperative scoring systems have been proposed to predict the acceptability of the view obtained at SL (2-7); however it is our view that these often involve measuring excessive numbers of additional variables outside of our routine clinical care, increasing time burdens on staff without demonstrable gains in management-changing data. We aimed to elucidate SL complication rates from our tertiary airway population with comparison to the global literature, in order to: