Anyone have a hoarse, weak voice after thyroid lobectomy?

Posted by nbj @nbj, May 25, 2023

Anyone have voice issues after surgery? I had surgery 3 weeks ago (lobectomy for PTC) . Surgeon says the laryngeal nerve is irritated and it not better by 6 months he will send me to ENT. I’m discouraged, can’t return to work until voice comes back.

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Profile picture for koh @koh

@esfinkef The use of injections into the vocal folds is a common practice for assistance with getting the vocal folds to close to produce a voice. However, it sounds a bit premature to go for injections without first trying vocal exercises. 3 weeks post surgery sounds premature for trying injections.
In my opinion, you might want to ask the doctor for a referral for an evaluation by a Speech and Language Pathologist who specializes in voice disorders after neck surgery. The SLP can assess the vocal folds and give you exercises to strengthen them. By doing the strengthening exercises you might be able to get closure of the vocal folds, which will strengthen the voice. If you try injections right away, you will be plumping up the vocal cord to meet the other vocal fold, but not strengthening it.

In my opinion, it might be better to try the exercises first and if they do not correct the issue, an injection will always be an option.
Good Luck!

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@koh Thank you. That is what i am going to do.

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Profile picture for koh @koh

@akorfa
Good Morning! I am going to advocate for Speech and Language therapy. Have you ever been evaluated by a Speech and Language Pathologist for voice concerns? If you have a voice and still cannot sing, it might be related to your breathing; you might not be taking in enough air to suppport your voice. If you are not taking in enough air to support your voice to sing, it might be contributing to you feeling tired. It might worth looking into a voice specialist for an evaluation. Good luck!

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@koh speech therapy helped my voice after two thyroid cancer surgeries. I am a singer and was 68 when I had the surgeries. It takes time but I can’t recommend speech therapy enough. I do it over zoom and insurance covers it. “westside speech and swallowing disorders “. Based in nyc

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Profile picture for mrsluckycat @mrsluckycat

@koh speech therapy helped my voice after two thyroid cancer surgeries. I am a singer and was 68 when I had the surgeries. It takes time but I can’t recommend speech therapy enough. I do it over zoom and insurance covers it. “westside speech and swallowing disorders “. Based in nyc

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@mrsluckycat ..It is always great to hear from people who have had positive experiences with Speech and Language Therapy. It’s a great profession! Thank you for sharing your success.

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