Thyroid Cartilage and Vocal Fold Reduction: A New Phonosurgical Method for Male-to-Female Transsexuals

Abstract

To date, there is a paucity of literature on surgery to alter vocal pitch in male-to-female transsexuals. The currently available pitch-raising surgical techniques yield neither a good long-term result nor a high enough pitch to simulate a female voice. We investigated a new procedure to alter vocal pitch in 6 male-to-female transsexuals. The principle is to shorten and increase tension on both vocal folds by composite resection of a vertical strip of the anterior thyroid cartilage along with a segment of vocal fold. This resulted in a satisfactory pitch alteration from an average of 147 Hz before operation to 315 Hz afterward. In addition to a marked pitch elevation, all patients were particularly pleased with the softness of the voice and the simultaneous loss of the prominentia laryngea (Adam's apple). The longest follow-up was 6 years. In conclusion, thyroid cartilage and vocal fold reduction is an effective method for long-term alteration of voice in male-to-female transsexuals.