Case 72 (2008) 23 yo

 

She is 23 years old and has worked with 3 speech therapists prior to considering surgery.

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.

 

Pre Surgery

6 weeks

7 months

 

Reading passage

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

  

Pitch: about D3 - mid male range

(typical male speaking range about B2 - E3)

With effort she could maintain A3#.

Pitch: about A3# (about 8 semitones higher than pre-op)

(normal female speaking range about E3 - A3)

Pitch: relaxed, phonates about C4 and smooth. She has a small build, so a higher pitch still fits her image.

(normal female speaking range about E3 - A3)

 

Lowest pitch

  

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

Pitch: about F3

Pitch: about E3 - she has benefitted from a loss of most of her lower range.

  

Highest pitch

  

Pitch: about D5#

Pitch: about F4

Pitch: about C5 - nearly the same as before surgery

  

Vegetative sounds

coughing & throat clearing

    

 

 

 

  

Yell

loud phonation

    

 

 

higher pitch

  

Laryngoscopy

Views

        
abduction overview of cords
 
post surgical view breathing
  

Stroboscopy

saying the sound /i/

        

strobe view

Views during phonation.
 

strobe view

Views during phonation.

  
Neck front view:

Neck front view

 

Neck front view
Neck profile view:

Neck front view

 

Neck front view
The surgeon’s comments:

She had a feminization laryngoplasty and a thyrohyoid elevation. I removed about 45% off the front of the vocal cords, and I noted that I might have moved a bit more from the right than the left. In the end that seemed to be the case with the right cord being tighter than the left post surgery. Her pitch is quite high. She has not yet worked with a speech therapist post surgery (3/3/09).