What are the side effects of cautery therapy for chronic pharyngitis? Cautery therapy mainly involves the use of lasers, microwaves, and low-temperature plasma to remove lymphatic tissue growths, also called lymphatic follicles, from the back wall of the pharynx. According to Chinese medicine, the method of cautery has the nature of fire and heat, which can damage yin and deplete fluid. Therefore, this method may not be effective for some patients, and excessive use may aggravate the symptoms and cause more dryness in the throat. In recent years, patients have often reported that cauterization of lymphatic follicles has caused more dryness in the throat and even scarring, causing more discomfort. In addition, cautery is effective if the cause of the discomfort or foreign body sensation in the throat is due to follicular hyperplasia; if the cause of the foreign body sensation in the throat is not or not entirely caused by lymphatic follicles, the effect of cautery therapy will be reduced or not very effective. Because we usually find that many of our friends have obvious lymphoid follicular hyperplasia in the pharynx when we perform a physical examination, but do not have any symptoms. So follicular hyperplasia does not necessarily cause pharyngeal discomfort or pharyngeal foreign body sensation. The lack of efficacy in many patients who have had this done can also account for this.