Case 66 (2008) 48 yo smoker
This 48 yo has been living as a female for 2.5 years and has tried on her own to alter her voice. She has a 30 pack year history of cigarette smoking which has a significant impact on the voice.
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
There are many components to a voice exam. I have selected ones here that I feel change the most with this type of surgery.
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Pre Surgery |
10 months |
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Reading passagePitch is described relative to C4 or middle C on the piano. |
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Pitch: about C3# - mid-male range (typical male speaking range about B2 - E3) |
Pitch: about D3# - about 1 note higher (she still has smokers polyps) (normal female speaking range about E3 - A3) |
Pitch: about (normal female speaking range about E3 - A3) |
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Lowest pitch |
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Pitch: about F2# (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. |
Pitch: about |
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Highest pitch |
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Pitch: about B3 |
Pitch: about G3# |
Pitch: about |
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Vegetative soundscoughing & throat clearing |
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Yellloud phonation |
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LaryngoscopyViews |
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Stroboscopysaying the sound /i/ |
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| Neck front view: |
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| Neck profile view: |
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| The surgeon’s comments: |
I removed about 50% of her anterior vocal cords. I had tempered my expectations about the outcome because of the smoking. She did quit smoking the month before the surgery but started up again. Her voice was hoarse for about 2 months after the surgery and stabilized about 6 months after the surgery. My feeling as of 2009 is that if she quit smoking, we could reduce the size of her smokers polyps with a laser treatment and that would raise her pitch further. |
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| The patient’s comments: |
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