I've seen a lot of comments and questions about Habben and Yesson. What is anyone's experience with Dr Thomas? I found his name in a web search and found his web site. Voicedoctor.net
So does anyone know anything about experiences having surgery done by him? Like laryngoplasty and thyrohyoid elevation?
Quote from: josie76 on August 16, 2017, 08:22:23 AM
I've seen a lot of comments and questions about Habben and Yesson. What is anyone's experience with Dr Thomas? I found his name in a web search and found his web site. Voicedoctor.net
So does anyone know anything about experiences having surgery done by him? Like laryngoplasty and thyrohyoid elevation?
Do a search of the forums. Thomas is well known here. Look on his site. It seems his technique is very hit or miss.
I think the biggest difference I've heard is in the bad results. The bad results in with Thomas are very froggy, unnatural voices. The bad results I've heard from H&T is just not enough change.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
A little over two years ago I started looking for voice surgery and Dr Thomas was the first one I found. At that time his site contained samples from restructuring the larynx and I was far from impressed with the results. I decided if that where my only option, the surgery hadn't progressed far enough for me to risk it. What I took from it was if I had a badly damaged larynx he could reconstruct the larynx and give me my voice back so I would see him under those conditions. Fast forward 2 years and while I haven't heard much about him, I suspect he may be using different procedures more like the ones the other surgeons use. If this is the case, I would definitely reevaluate him if I were looking for voice surgery.
Restructuring the larynx would be the ideal surgery if it can produce consistent results and maybe some day that will be how all voice surgery will be preformed however that procedure is still pretty new and lacks much of a track record.
Thanks Dena. His site has a number of really good sound bytes. You can tell on the ones listed as 2 or 4 months post op their voices are rough still. The ones a year out sound incredible. But like you say, what do the bad results sound like.
A girl from group found Wash U in St Louis has a speech therapy that took her med insurance. She also found ortangology surgeon there that does glotoplasty there. I might look into that when I'm in a better position. I have 8 weeks left on FMLA leave untill I loose my job. Been 4 weeks constant pain and work comp still hasn't approved trying shots.
Well if I end up unemployed and temp disabled I did find the med insurance option for Medicaid in my county in Illinois actually lists trans healthcare unlike my employer BCBS MS who does not.
I would be extremely cautious about anyone proposing 'restructuring' the larynx beyond a tracheal shave or vocal cord surgery.
The larynx is a complicated structure that does far more than enhance speech. In operating on the structure of the larynx you risk losing swallowing and breathing. The larynx carries extensive nerve connections if they are damaged you will not swallow or breathe normally again.
There are no surgeries that I know of that allow reconstruction of the larynx. There are no 3D larynx and there are no laryngeal transplants.
I can assure you that I have explored the issue.