This information is for patients considering a surgery on their vocal cords or voice box to alter their pitch. The first three surgeries are primarily designed for transgender male-to-female patients to raise the pitch; genetic males with vocal pitch and vocal resonance that are often too low to be perceived as a female.

• Feminization laryngoplasty [2]
  • an outpatient operating room procedure to shorten the length of the vocal cords and the size of the thyroid cartilage in a transgender patient to obtain a more feminine voice. This procedure raises pitch.
  • it has the potential to raise the pitch further than the cricothyroid approximation, but has a greater risk of needing a revision.
  • it does alter resonance to a small degree.
  • a thyrohyoid approximation can be performed at the same time to affect resonance. 
• Laser tuning [3]
  • a person's comfortable speaking pitch - male or female - can be raised a few semi-tones
  • this procedure can be done in the office
  • a more aggressive variation on the procedure can be done in the operating room.
  • It can also be used to raise the pitch of a person with smoker's polyps.
• Thyrohyoid elevation [4]
  • removes the upper portion of the thyroid cartilage and raises the larynx in the neck.   
• Web glottoplasty [5]
  • removes the upper portion of the thyroid cartilage and raises the larynx in the neck.
  • Technique to suture the front of the vocal cords together to try and raise the comfortable speaking pitch 
• Cricothyroid approximation (CTA) [6]
  • an operating room procedure to pull two cartilages closer together to mimic the cricothyroid muscle action of raising the pitch.
  • when done on one side it is usually to replace the action of a paralyzed muscle.
  • when done on both sides it may be used for feminization of the male voice to raise the lowest pitch you can produce. 
• Reduction laryngoplasty [7]
  • an operating room procedure to reduce the profile of the Adam’s apple. This procedure does not alter the pitch but often accompanies the cricothyroid approximation [6] procedure.
  • It is also known as a "Tracheal Shave" or "Trach Shave", though it is a procedure on the larynx (voice box) which connects to the top of the trachea (windpipe). 
• Microlaryngoscopy [8]
  • removes smoker's polyps, usually a disorder of female talkative cigarette smokers.
• Pitch-lowering surgery [9]
  • a segment of cartilage can be removed from the voice box to loosen the vocal folds and lower the pitch, and sometimes the thickness of the vocal cord can be augmented.
• Consent forms [10]
  • The legal part that you sign when you are ready and understand the risks.