California ready to travel

[me2]

My first dilation was several years ago and I remember learning at that time that many people had been damaged by treatments using lasers. When I talked to my doc (recommended by a VF consultant) he agreed that we would not use lasers. Minutes before they were going to wheel me into the operating room they had me sign a consent form. I read the form and on the form it mentioned that I was giving the doctor permission to use a laser.

I freaked out and said I wasn't going to sign it. The nurse said if I didn't sign it I wouldn't get my surgery that day.
So, in a creative moment, I hand wrote a note "No lasers!!!" , intitialed it and then signed. When I next saw my doc he had a good laugh over what I did. He said the wording was just there to give him latitude in case he thought it benificial.

So, I just moled all over trying to find an article that mentions lasers with SGSS and Wegener's and was not successful.
I did find a fantastic video by Dr Lorenz who mentions lasers and all the rest of the considerations in SGSS surgery for Wegener's. Apparently , there are now lasers that can make fine cuts and not do the large amount of scarring damage that was done in the past when using lasers.

From the video , it looks to me like they used to just try and cut away all the tissue using a laser which ended up leaving significant scarring that was then prone to closing up again.

My doc was able to make the fine cuts without a laser , I don't know if this better or not. The concern before with the laser was that it caused damage around the incision due to the heat itself. This may not be the case anymore.

Also he mentions the use of Mitomycin C in the video and my doc agrees that it is a bit of a toss up and inconclusive how helpful it is. What IS important (as mentioned in the video) is the steroid injections.

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BifdvorrUJ8

You are going to feel SO much better after the procedure. I am happy for you knowing what a relief it is.

PS- It does seem from watching the video that the procedure is going to vary depending on whether your stenosis is just a webbing or if it is a longer section of the trachea. I'm guessing it would take a bit more work to open a longer stenosis than it would just a webbing.