Voice Change Surgery

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The voice is an important determinant factor that reveals whether an individual is male or female.

Hoarseness of Voice

May result from overuse or misuse of the voice, infection of the vocal cords, or any accident resulting to the malfunction of the vocal cords and larynx. Thus, a thorough examination is required for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Laryngoplasty

Advancement in medical science with the advent of modern technology has greatly enhanced the performance of surgery for correcting or improving the quality of voice. Voice patterns can now be altered depending on the desired voice pitch either from female to male or vice versa as the cause may be.

Laryngoplasty also attains the desired result of reducing of the prominence of the Adam’s apple, a male characteristic.

The alteration of the voice pitch frequency is an important step in the transsexual change of an individual to make a person blend in the gender of his or her preference.

Corrections of low voice pitch pattern

• Patients with profound voice pitch pattern who wish to acquire a feminine voice (common in “Male-To-Female” Transsexuals)
• Surgical procedure takes approximately from 2-3 hours, under general anesthesia.
• A 1.5 – 2cm incision is made along natural skin lines to make the scar inconspicuous.
• Sutures are removed after one week.
• Patient stays in the hospital for 2 nights for close observation.

Corrections of high voice pitch pattern

• Male patients or “Female-To-Male” transgender with high voice pitch pattern who wish to acquire a masculine voice
• Surgical procedure takes approximately from 2-3 hours, under general anesthesia.
• A 2 – 3cm incision is made along natural skin lines to make the scar inconspicuous.
• Sutures are removed after one week.
• Patient stays in the hospital for 2 nights for close observation.

Correction of the Hoarseness of the Voice

• Muscles or nerve dysfunction of the vocal cords causes hoarseness of voice.
• With the patient under general anesthesia, a laryngoscope is inserted and the whole operation is done intra-orally.
• Surgery leaves no external scar.
• Patient stays in the hospital for 1 night only.

Pre-operative care

• The vocal cords and larynx are thoroughly examined to check the voice frequency, structure, and shape prior to surgery.
• Any prevailing colds or cough should be treated first.
• Absolutely no food intake 6 hours before the surgery.
• Smoking and intake of certain medications other than those prescribed by the doctor should be stopped.

Post-operative care

• The patient is placed under close monitoring by the attending surgeon during the night’s stay in the hospital.
• The patient is not allowed to talk for one week. Thus, communication is done in writing or sign language to expedite the healing process.
• Coughing or heavy expectoration is discouraged to avoid irritation or inflammation of the vocal cords.
• Patient is absolutely on soft diet.
• Soft diets with hormonal treatment (if any) are taken in the morning after surgery.
• Patient is subjected to a follow up check up after 1 week for suture removal alongside with the speech therapy.

View Before and After here.