Glottoplasty, CTA, FemLar ?

[josie76]

So it seems there is a chance I might manage to pull together funds for FFS and VFS in the next year. Looking at VFS options.

I am very interested in Dr. Thomas' FemLar (feminizing laryngoplasty). Is there anyone one here that has looked into this or knows someone who had it done?

As far as glottoplasty, there is knife and suture, laser with suture, and anterior commissure advancement. The last looks like it is as invasive as the femlar and a CTA would be.

CTA, doesn't sound like an option I'd want to try based on recorded results and the reported failure rate.

I suppose the laser glottoplasty or even the laser thinning of the cords are the least invasive and would have the quickest recovery? With a good deal of time I have managed to raise my relaxed voice to around 175hz but my best sustainable pitch with constant concentration is just up to 200hz average. Just trying to figure out what to do for my future.

[Dena]

Dr Thomas I don't know enough to judge. What I know is three years old and at that point, the results didn't sound very good. I think he has changed or perfected his procedure and if so, he might become a good alternative.

CTA is an older procedure and from what I can determine, it locks you in the head voice. If your head voice is good, it will hold you there. If your head voice is low, you probably aren't going to see much improvement with it. Dr Haben doesn't do it stand alone normally and tends to add it only when dealing with a real problem voice like that of a smokers voice.

As for cord thinning, there is a danger of scaring which would permanently affect the voice. Also from the little I have heard, often it didn't provide the desired change in pitch.

Glottoplasty seems to give results about as good as can be expected. Many have had it and for the most the results have been good. I am happy with my results but I didn't make the decision lightly as I was aware that the surgery could fail. My healing time was longer than normal which I expected as my body tends to swell when injured and the swelling takes forever to go down.

[Ellement_of_Freedom]

kwala (one of the forum users) has had FemLar with Dr Thomas and is happy with her results. I'm going to have it done after my FFS and SRS because I like the results that women my age seem to get. It also gives a superior tracheal shave without damaging the vocal cords, which I also like as I'm quite slim and I don't think the typical procedure will get rid of enough of the protrusion. He has a huge amount of information and before/afters on his webpage: https://www.voicedoctor.net/surgery/pitch/feminization-laryngoplasty

[kwala]

^Thanks for the shout out!

I had a glottoplasty about three years ago, and it was a complete disaster and did permanent damage to my voice. Obviously, that's not a typical result, but it is a definite possibility no matter what any doctor tells you.  I recently (about two and some change months ago) underwent FemLar and I may not be the best case for you to use as a guide considering I had severe damage from my first surgery. Still, it's worth mentioning that FemLar for me has not only stabilized my pitch but by removing so much of the scar tissue I had developed, my voice is finally sounding close to normal after many years of sounding like I had emphazima. For me, it has been an absolute miracle.

In addition to researching the different procedures I would also recommend reading up on the individual doctor, their techniques, and their results. Even surgeries with the same name like a "Wendler Glottoplasty" can be performed with many variations such as instruments used, types of sutures, etc...

Best of luck!

[OU812]

The glottoplasty is the type of procedure that took this forum by storm when it first came about ~5 years ago, with everyone raving about how Dr. Kim at Yeson had finally managed to create the impossible - a really beautiful, natural-sounding female voice. The fact that it's a minimally-invasive procedure and relatively affordable were icing on the cake.

There are now several surgeons who perform it, each with their own technical approach and aesthetic ideals. Some of them push quite hard on the marketing front and try to highlight maximum pitch gain, while others are more focused on patient privacy, a natural-sounding pitch range, and do very little to market their services.

I'm really not convinced any one glottoplasty approach is superior to any others, I think they can all produce excellent and poor results, but that statistically the odds are heavily in your favor. The one approach I'm particularly interested in is this new glottoplasty being done by a lady in Toronto - she uses Radiesse to hold the vocal folds together during healing, which supposedly gives more strength and precision than sutures. I already had my glottoplasty in Rochester and am very happy with the results, but I'll be closely watching this new Radiesse procedure: if it pans out well, her work could be the next giant leap forward in the evolution of feminization glottoplasty!

Which, by the way, I consider this "new wave" of feminization glottoplasty to be a real godsend. My first instinct upon discovering it ~4 years ago was SIGN ME UP!!! It's such a relief to speak a few words each morning and think, "This sounds like me!" 

[josie76]

^Thanks for the shout out!

I had a glottoplasty about three years ago, and it was a complete disaster and did permanent damage to my voice. Obviously, that's not a typical result, but it is a definite possibility no matter what any doctor tells you.  I recently (about two and some change months ago) underwent FemLar and I may not be the best case for you to use as a guide considering I had severe damage from my first surgery. Still, it's worth mentioning that FemLar for me has not only stabilized my pitch but by removing so much of the scar tissue I had developed, my voice is finally sounding close to normal after many years of sounding like I had emphazima. For me, it has been an absolute miracle.

In addition to researching the different procedures I would also recommend reading up on the individual doctor, their techniques, and their results. Even surgeries with the same name like a "Wendler Glottoplasty" can be performed with many variations such as instruments used, types of sutures, etc...

Best of luck!

How long after the FemLar procedure were you able to try to speak? You say it's only been 2+ months ago and you are seeing good sounding results. Just wondering because so many glottoplasty stories sound like you have to not even whisper for nearly that long.
Did he also do the thyroid elevation when doing the FemLar?

Thanks

[josie76]

The glottoplasty is the type of procedure that took this forum by storm when it first came about ~5 years ago, with everyone raving about how Dr. Kim at Yeson had finally managed to create the impossible - a really beautiful, natural-sounding female voice. The fact that it's a minimally-invasive procedure and relatively affordable were icing on the cake.

There are now several surgeons who perform it, each with their own technical approach and aesthetic ideals. Some of them push quite hard on the marketing front and try to highlight maximum pitch gain, while others are more focused on patient privacy, a natural-sounding pitch range, and do very little to market their services.

I'm really not convinced any one glottoplasty approach is superior to any others, I think they can all produce excellent and poor results, but that statistically the odds are heavily in your favor. The one approach I'm particularly interested in is this new glottoplasty being done by a lady in Toronto - she uses Radiesse to hold the vocal folds together during healing, which supposedly gives more strength and precision than sutures. I already had my glottoplasty in Rochester and am very happy with the results, but I'll be closely watching this new Radiesse procedure: if it pans out well, her work could be the next giant leap forward in the evolution of feminization glottoplasty!

Which, by the way, I consider this "new wave" of feminization glottoplasty to be a real godsend. My first instinct upon discovering it ~4 years ago was SIGN ME UP!!! It's such a relief to speak a few words each morning and think, "This sounds like me!" 

Do you know this doctor's name? I have been trying to find information on this use of the filler.