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Voice Deepening Surgery (Voice Masculinization)

Treatment Details

Surgery Duration: 1 hour
Surgical Method: Through a 2 cm incision in the neck
Anesthesia: Local Anesthesia
Hospital Stay: Same-day discharge (4 hours after surgery)
Return to Work: 5 days later
Full Recovery Period: 1 month
Permanence: Lifelong

How Is Our Voice Tone (Pitch – Thickness and Timbre) Formed?

Our vocal cords vibrate with air from our lungs, producing sound. In addition to the vocal cords, other structures are also involved in forming the pitch and timbre of the voice. The sound waves generated by our vocal cords are shaped by striking structures such as our throat, tongue, teeth, and palate. This creates a complex yet harmonious sound, much like a multi-voiced orchestral piece, containing more than one sound. This harmony is the basis of our voice’s timbre. The speed at which our vocal cords vibrate determines the thinness or thickness of our voice. A rapidly vibrating vocal cord produces a high-pitched voice, while a slowly vibrating vocal cord produces a deep voice. This vibration speed can be measured with special endoscopes for vocal cords and through voice analyses. If the vocal cords vibrate in the range of 80-140, it is considered a male voice; if they vibrate in the range of 180-240, it is considered a female voice.

What is Voice Deepening?

When a person’s voice is high-pitched and inconsistent with their existing gender, appearance, image, or body structure, it can affect them in many ways in daily life. Patients are often perceived as female, especially on the phone, due to their voices. During bank or police call center conversations, they are addressed as ‘madam,’ and sometimes their transactions are not processed by customer representatives on the grounds that they are not the person themselves. Our patients, especially those in professions that require presentations, speaking, and communication, experience problems in their professional lives. Promotions are delayed, and they cannot work in their desired positions. Additionally, concerns about their sexual orientation being different from what it is can sometimes negatively affect the romantic relationships our patients try to establish.

Who Is Voice Deepening Surgery Suitable For?

Voice deepening surgery is also known as voice masculinization surgery, Type 3 thyroplasty or relaxation thyroplasty. Voice Deepening can be performed on all patients experiencing one or more of the problems listed above. Although we almost always perform Voice Deepening surgery on male patients, we can sometimes apply this treatment to female patients with very high-pitched voices or transgender male patients whose hormone therapy has been insufficient.

How Is Voice Deepening Surgery Performed? Voice Deepening surgery involves surgical treatments that reduce the tension of the vocal cords, making the voice perceived as deeper and lower-pitched. During the procedure, the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple), the cartilage to which the vocal cords attach, is reshaped. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia because it is critical to hear the patient’s voice to achieve the ideal sound.

What Should Be Known After Voice Deepening Surgery?

Voice Deepening surgery is not a painful operation, and patients do not stay in the hospital afterward. After Voice Deepening surgery, limited voice use is recommended for 5-7 days. Subsequently, with the support of voice therapy, the patient learns how to use their new voice in daily life. A period of 3-5 months may be required for complete healing and for the ‘new voice’ to fully settle.

Voice feminization surgeries are not ordinary vocal cord surgeries. Therefore, they should be performed by an ENT specialist experienced in voice disorders and surgery. Otherwise, they can cause irreparable problems.