Male to female vocal surgery - Feminization laryngoplasty: Case 24

This surgery removes the anterior portion of the voice box (thyroid cartilage) and shortens the vocal cords before putting the voice box back together. I did not suspend the larynx from the hyoid on this case.

These recordings are set to a fairly low resolution for the internet but do demonstrate the general sound and function of the vocal cords before and after this case of laryngeal reduction surgery. Much more detail is actually visible in the office. The videos when shown are oriented with the front down and the left vocal fold is on the right of the video. Orientation is discussed here. Please note: These examples of possible results should not be construed to represent what will be acheived in any other patient. Thus there are several examples of patients on the site

Pre Surgery

6 weeks

4 months

Reading passage

Pitch is described relative to C4 or middle C on the piano.

Pitch: about D3

(typical male speaking range about B2 - E3) with effort the patient could obtain the following voice which is about F3#

Pitch: about A3# (about 8 semitones higher than pre-op relaxed pitch - ie there is no effort to maintain this pitch)

(normal female speaking range about E3 - A3)

Pitch: about A3#

(normal female speaking range about E3 - A3)

Lowest pitch

Pitch: about G2 (normal male low range varies C1 - C3)

Pitch: about C3# (normal female low range varies between B2 - F3) this is a glide from high to lowest pitch. It is just over an octave higher at this point.

Pitch: about E3

Highest pitch

Pitch: about F5

Pitch: about E5 - this is a glide from low to the highest pitch.

Pitch: about C5

Vegetative sounds

coughing & throat clearing

Yell

loud phonation

Laryngoscopy

Views during respiration to get a close up view.

Stroboscopy

saying the sound /i/

She could reach a nice speaking pitch with effort before the surgery. Now the appropriate speaking pitch comes naturally without effort. We did not suspend her larynx higher in her neck as I felt she had very appropriate resonance to start with.

She developed a granuloma at the anterior commisure at two months that was injected with steroids in the office and she coughed out a week later.