Community Conversation => Transitioning => Facial feminization surgery => Topic started by: Valerie Elizabeth on September 05, 2009, 09:59:14 PM Return to Full Version
Title: Lower falsetto
Post by: Valerie Elizabeth on September 05, 2009, 09:59:14 PM
Post by: Valerie Elizabeth on September 05, 2009, 09:59:14 PM
So, since having FFS which included a tracheal shave, my falsetto has gotten lower. My throat feels different now. It feels like I am straining to get to falsetto.
Did anyone els experince somehing similar? Did it go away after a while? Could I get it back with some work? After all the swelling goes down (I'm still pretty swollen)?
Any thoughts?
Did anyone els experince somehing similar? Did it go away after a while? Could I get it back with some work? After all the swelling goes down (I'm still pretty swollen)?
Any thoughts?
Title: Re: Lower falsetto
Post by: Myself on September 06, 2009, 01:17:20 AM
Post by: Myself on September 06, 2009, 01:17:20 AM
How long ago was the shave?
Swelling can, as anyone who ever had a strep throat knows, make your voice different and even lower until the swelling passes.
The shaving procedure can sometime hurt the vocal folds a bit, if you are less than a month after surgery I'd suggest to wait until at least a month or two passes.
Another thing, ask your surgeon, ask a doctor.
Swelling can, as anyone who ever had a strep throat knows, make your voice different and even lower until the swelling passes.
The shaving procedure can sometime hurt the vocal folds a bit, if you are less than a month after surgery I'd suggest to wait until at least a month or two passes.
Another thing, ask your surgeon, ask a doctor.
Title: Re: Lower falsetto
Post by: mmelny on September 06, 2009, 02:13:10 AM
Post by: mmelny on September 06, 2009, 02:13:10 AM
It could be the breathing tube too. I know my throat was hurting for a few weeks from that thing. One voice surgeon I consulted with said that he wouldn't do surgery on someone that was going to be undergoing general anesthesia within 6 months after, because of the damaging breathing tube, so I guess that has some potential impact on vocal cords. But this is temporary, and they heal. Not sure that would be applicable for your condition.
Title: Re: Lower falsetto
Post by: Renate on September 06, 2009, 06:30:42 AM
Post by: Renate on September 06, 2009, 06:30:42 AM
Apparently different surgeons vary in how aggressively they remove the excess thyroid cartilage.
Possibly some use just a scalpel if the patient is very young and the cartilage is soft. (I'm just guessing.)
Many use "rongeurs", hand-held nippers, to chunk away more hardened cartilage.
Some surgeons use a power burr to grind away the cartilage.
I've never seen a discussion of the esthetic benefits versus risk to the voice of varying degrees of aggressiveness of the surgery.
Does anyone have any references to this matter?
Possibly some use just a scalpel if the patient is very young and the cartilage is soft. (I'm just guessing.)
Many use "rongeurs", hand-held nippers, to chunk away more hardened cartilage.
Some surgeons use a power burr to grind away the cartilage.
I've never seen a discussion of the esthetic benefits versus risk to the voice of varying degrees of aggressiveness of the surgery.
Does anyone have any references to this matter?
Title: Re: Lower falsetto
Post by: MMarieN on September 06, 2009, 06:44:10 PM
Post by: MMarieN on September 06, 2009, 06:44:10 PM
During my trach shave, the surgeon took off just a bit too much of the thyroid cartilage. This resulted in a collapse of my vocal cords. I was able to talk, but I lost most of my vocal range. I had to go through some pretty extensive voice therapy to get my voice back to a usable level. I never regained my upper registers. And my singing voice is totally shot.
I consider this a minor complication. Overall, I was very, very happy with the ffs work. And since this was the worst complication of my transition, I feel very fortunate.
I consider this a minor complication. Overall, I was very, very happy with the ffs work. And since this was the worst complication of my transition, I feel very fortunate.