Cosmetic Voice Surgery (Thyroplasty)
Thyroplasty is a specialized voice surgery aimed at changing the pitch, resonance, and quality of the voice. It is commonly performed for patients experiencing voice fatigue, weak vocal tone, or for gender-affirming voice modification.
There are four types of thyroplasty (Type I-IV) depending on the desired outcome:
Type I (Medialization Thyroplasty): Enhances voice strength by repositioning the vocal cord in cases of vocal cord paralysis or atrophy.
Type II (Lateralization Thyroplasty): Lowers pitch for individuals with a naturally high-pitched voice.
Type III (Shortening Thyroplasty): Reduces vocal cord tension to lower pitch, useful in female-to-male (FTM) transgender patients.
Type IV (Lengthening Thyroplasty): Increases pitch by stretching the vocal cords, ideal for male-to-female (MTF) voice modification.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, allowing real-time voice testing during surgery to achieve the best results.
