Treatment
The first course of treatment is to remove the source of the irritant (e.g. smoking cessation, vocal rest, etc.). This can be effective if done soon after development of the edema. Surgery is also an option and can result in some restoration of the voice but is ineffective in complete restoration of the voice to its original state. Decortication of the vocal cords, i.e. removal of a strip of epithelium, is done first on one side and 3–4 weeks later on the other side.
Read more about this topic: Reinke's Edema
Famous quotes containing the word treatment:
“Ambivalence reaches the level of schizophrenia in our treatment of violence among the young. Parents do not encourage violence, but neither do they take up arms against the industries which encourage it. Parents hide their eyes from the books and comics, slasher films, videos and lyrics which form the texture of an adolescent culture. While all successful societies have inhibited instinct, ours encourages it. Or at least we profess ourselves powerless to interfere with it.”
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