Does Dr Haben provide Botox treatment for voczl tremor pre-vfs?

[Ritana]

Apparently I have been given a higher than average dose of Botox pre-vfs to treat my vocal tremor, hence the prolonged hoarseness.

Does Dr Haben provide Botox treatment for vocal tremor too? Just curious as Haben's patients seem to take longer to recover.

At this stage, hoarseness seems to be almost gone. I mostly have issues with power.

[Dena]

Dr Haben doesn't normally give Botox for VFS. One of the big differences is the 4 week voice rest that you had and Dr Haben's patients are permitted to speak after a week. More are going to have voice issues that early than if they waited 4 weeks to speak. In my conversation with Dr Haben, he said sometimes he give people 4 weeks of voice rest so they don't have anxiety when their voice fails to work at first.

Before I had my surgery, we had several people who had great voice at 6 weeks. Just before I went, one had a very long recovery period and that seemed to start a run where several of use had slow recoveries. Yeson has also had a long recovery here and I suspect there are others that are not reported.

I knew I was going to be a long recovery person because I tend to swell after surgery. The swelling is slow to leave and in some cases, the swelling lingered up to a year. I didn't expect a quick recovery and I was correct.

[Ritana]

Thanks for your reply. Since Dr Haven doesn't do Botox treatment, then how does he treat vocal tremors which are present in most trans patients as a result of long term vocal straining?

On the other hand, the 4 week vocal rest recommended by Dr Kim post vfs seems much longer than what any other surgeon's recommends. I have done lots of research online, and it appears that even regular patients ( whether cis or trans) who've had vocal tumours removed are usually required to rest their voice for about 2-3 weeks max.

Any thoughts on the matter, girls?

[Dena]

Properly done, a trained voice shouldn't result in straining or voice issue. I have used a trained voice for about 35 years and continue to use one after surgery without voice issues. Dr Haben is very clear that therapy is 50% of a new voice. I received my speech therapy from one of the best and he pioneered treating voice issues through therapy alone. My voice was incapable of reaching the feminine range without surgery or without damage but I learned how to correct and avoid voice damaging issues.

I am a bit puzzled by the extensive use of Botox by Dr Kim and often wonder if patients will fall back into their old habits once the Botox wears off unless they receive the proper voice therapy. This is not to say Botox is useless because I think Dr Haben may use it for some treatments but I am unsure it is a lasting treatment for voice issues.

As I said before, Dr Haben might give up to 4 weeks of voice rest depending on the case. I know of three girls who have had it for different reasons. If the surgery is more extensive, recovery time might be longer. Also note that Dr Kim's 4 weeks isn't absolute. You may use a limited number of words in that 4 weeks indicating the voice won't be damaged with use. My voice took over 2 weeks before I could get sound out of it and 4 weeks to become somewhat usable so Dr Kim's 4 weeks may just be the result of different thinking on the matter. In any case, follow your doctors recommendation. Don't use your voice any more than the doctor recommends and if the voice isn't ready, give it more time.

[Ritana]

I have been asked, by Dr Kim, to observe a full 2 month period of absolute silence. I am at my 7week mark, and it has been a lonely experience, to say the least.

At work,  I had to take my usual one month leave plus 3 weeks of unpaid leave because of "extenuating circumstances" (I lead a 100% stealth lifestyle). To make sure I don't use my voice during this long recovery period, he gave me a larger amount of Botox. That's the cherry on the cake!

Of course I have had to use my voice during this period in some limited emergency situations. But this imposed silence combined with yhe forced abstinence from coffee, wine, chocolate, nuts and spicy food has made my vfs experience a very difficult one.

Botox seems to be effective at treating vocal tremors, but it needs to be combined with some good sessions of speech therapy.

[Dena]

I know this idea is a bit late but if you could get by without your voice at work, you just say you needed voice surgery and you weren't permitted to talk after surgery. You don't need to explain exactly what was done. This also allows for any differences people may notice after surgery. If people insist on knowing, tell them it's something like Julie Andrews where years of abuse required you to have voice surgery to correct some issues. Voice surgery for singers is pretty common and with a little searching, you might come up with a few more names.

[Ritana]

I told them I had laryngitis, but then they couldn't understand why it has lasted for so long. Unfortunately my work does require constant verbal communication. I figured I'd rather wait another 4 -unpaid- weeks than loose tje 11000 dollars I spent on the surgery and its costs (flights, hotel, taxis, expenses, etc). Dr Kim was so insistant on the voice rest!!

Dr Haben seems to be considerably cheaper in comparison, especially taking into account the fact the he's based in the US. His results seem incredible too!

For me it was a matter of choosing between the two surgeons. I ended up opting for Dr. Kim.

[Lara1969]

The long voice rest eas the reason why I opted for Dr. Haben. And the result is pretty awesome and fantastic. I think the voice rest is based on their experience. Laser surgery often can lead to faster healing but it depends on the tissue.

[Ritana]

Lara,

I am not sure in laser based vfs means the healing takes less time to heal. On the contrary, from what I read, laser burns the tissues, making the surgery a bit more invasive. I think Dr Kim is over-cautious, and wants to preserve the reputation of Yeson  as one of the best voice centres in the world.  Sure longer voice rest is more beneficial in terms of results, but is that practical on the ground? One could argue that 3 months voice rest would be even better in terms of achieving better Results ;however , how possible and feasible is that on day to day life when you have to get on with your life and make a living?