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.
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Feminization laryngoplasty
- 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.
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Laser tuning
- 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.
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Thyrohyoid elevation
- removes the upper portion of the thyroid cartilage and raises the larynx in the neck.
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Web glottoplasty
- 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
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Cricothyroid approximation (CTA)
- 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.
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Reduction laryngoplasty
- 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 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).
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Microlaryngoscopy
- removes smoker's polyps, usually a disorder of female talkative cigarette smokers.
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Pitch-lowering surgery
- 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.
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Consent forms
- The legal part that you sign when you are ready and understand the risks.
