voicedoctor.net - Post surgery

Slow recovery after microlaryngoscopic surgery with KTP laser?

packedby776 — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 02:00:02 +0000

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Hi, Two weeks ago (1/28/15) I had microlaryngoscopic surgery on my vocal cords using a KTP laser to remove two blood vessels, one of which (on the left cord) had been causing chronic vocal cord hemorrhages. Post-surgery I did 7 complete days of vocal rest, then slowly began speaking again on 2/5/15. I have worked up to being able to speak for several hours per day and feel that my voice is slowly growing stronger. However, I am still experiencing pitch breaks and hoarseness, and my voice is lower than normal. (I'm a female.) Today (2/12) I had a follow-up appointment with my surgeon, who did a laryngoscopy and said that things looked OK except for some inflammation still on the left side. He also stated (more than once), though, that he "would have expected [my] voice to be more normal by now" and that for me to still be experiencing hoarseness and pitch breaks was "not normal" and "not typical." My next follow-up is in 5 weeks, and I was instructed to continue speaking normally but not to overdo it and, obviously, to avoid yelling. The thing is that I felt really good and optimistic about my (slow, but steady --- I thought) recovery until my appt. today. Now I'm very worried. Is it really abnormal to not be back at 100% vocal performance 2 weeks after this procedure? Do I need to be concerned that I will not see any further improvement? Is my voice stuck like this or will I continue to heal? I did not feel that I was able to get a straight answer out of my surgeon (or the nurse) and I'm really, really worried now that for some reason something went wrong and my voice is permanently damaged. In your experience, is my recovery abnormal or have you seen cases where people just take longer to bounce back? Thank you.

thyroplasty sugery

tk21 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 09:16:26 +0000

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Post surgery

How many days/weeks will it takes for the stitches and swelling to disappear?

Post Microlaryngoscopy

sigrid — Sat, 05 May 2012 08:50:00 +0000

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Post surgery

I had a small benign polyp removed from one of my vocal folds on Friday - it had been there about 2 years or more and was starting to cause a reactive nodule on the other side. I also get bouts of acid reflux and go on and off medication for it. I began talking Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. And by Friday night was feeling worse pain in the throat than I had during the first three days of vocal rest following the surgery. There is a dull soreness and feeling like the glands are swollen. Also, even though I've been drinking water and other clear fluids all day, there is an recurring dryness in the throat. I've since gone back to complete vocal rest. Is this normal? Do you anticipate that I spoke too much too soon and have initiated vocal fold scarring?

Thank you so much for your time and attention.

Lost Voice

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:11:00 +0000

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Post surgery

I had a Anterior Cervical Fusion on C6-7 on 12/12/11. I am 2 weeks post op and I have only a faint nasal hoarse voice. I was a professional singer. They put me on steriods and today is the last day. Still, no voice. I can only talk in one pitch and I can't produce any high pitch at all. HELP ME!!

Is vocal cord stripping reversible?

chris — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:07:57 +0000

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Post surgery

Hello Doctor Thomas,

after my surgeon suggested to strip my right vocal cord to remove a nodule, I googled the procedure and found your video about it. Now I am a little intimidated. If I let the doctor proceed, will the stuff eventually grow back?

Thanks in advance,

Dave