@jimjudym4

Hi, I do not know what a Gore-Tex thyroplasty is. Could you explain a little?

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Yes I’d like to know also

@jimjudym4

I have vocal cord paralysis on both of my cords. I am now recovering from surgery #6. I do go to NY to a wonderful doctor but I would be interested if anyone out there has had these problems also and have gont to Mayo Clinic.

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I also saw Dr Woo. He is top notch. He recommended Botox to my muscle and then an experimental nerve surgery connecting my nerve higher in neck to the “dead” nerve that made my vocal cords collapse. The laryngeal nerve was damaged due to thyroidectomy medical malpractice. Don’t even get me started!

@jimjudym4

I have vocal cord paralysis on both of my cords. I am now recovering from surgery #6. I do go to NY to a wonderful doctor but I would be interested if anyone out there has had these problems also and have gont to Mayo Clinic.

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I posted below as well. I had a thyroidectomy in June 2014 which resulted in laryngeal nerve damage. So now I’m left with bilateral paralysis in the closed position blocking airway. I have permanent voice damage bc I had to have part of my left cord removed so I could breathe. I’m a teacher and have to use a microphone which really stinks. I’m 52 and it’s really a struggle to breathe with a little bit of space and speak all day long. Rant over. Thanks for the support!!

I saw Amy Rutt an Mayo Clinic.

@jimjudym4 and @marydwyer51

Here are a couple of links to websites that explain Gore-Tex thyroplasty"
https://medicine.uiowa.edu/iowaprotocols/medialization-laryngoplasty-type-i-thyroplasty-eptfe-gore-tex
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4490926/

@marydwyer51
Did Dr. Amy Rutt, at Mayo, perform a procedure on your vocal cord? If so, what were the results for you?

I look forward to hearing from you both again.

Teresa

How are you doing now after a few years have passed?

I feel for all of you.
Does anyone in the group have bilateral paralysis or know someone who does?
Also, is anyone a teacher?

@hopeful33250

@jimjudym4 and @marydwyer51

Here are a couple of links to websites that explain Gore-Tex thyroplasty"
https://medicine.uiowa.edu/iowaprotocols/medialization-laryngoplasty-type-i-thyroplasty-eptfe-gore-tex
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4490926/

@marydwyer51
Did Dr. Amy Rutt, at Mayo, perform a procedure on your vocal cord? If so, what were the results for you?

I look forward to hearing from you both again.

Teresa

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Yes she did my first laser cordotomy, but was very conservative in the amount removed. It wasn’t enough so I had to have another and I went to Dr Alemar at Cleveland clinic in Weston FL, close to home. I have stayed with him for all my follow up care. Dr Rutt is an excellent doctor, very down to earth and friendly. One thing I need to add is because of the small amount removed, when I awoke from anesthesia I was suffocating, most likely from swelling which closed up the airway. VERY SCARY. So because this has been a traumatic guessing game of treatment options, I am happy to find people with similar circumstances.

@hopeful33250

@jimjudym4 and @marydwyer51

Here are a couple of links to websites that explain Gore-Tex thyroplasty"
https://medicine.uiowa.edu/iowaprotocols/medialization-laryngoplasty-type-i-thyroplasty-eptfe-gore-tex
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4490926/

@marydwyer51
Did Dr. Amy Rutt, at Mayo, perform a procedure on your vocal cord? If so, what were the results for you?

I look forward to hearing from you both again.

Teresa

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@marydwyer51

When I had my vocal cord surgery (Cleveland Clinic in Ohio) I was given prednisone IV during the surgery and then started oral prednisone the day after surgery for about a week. It kept the inflammation down quite nicely. I did sleep in a recliner for the first couple of nights, though, because I would have breathing problems during the night and first thing in the morning.

Teresa

@marydwyer51

How are you doing now after a few years have passed?

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@marydwyer51 I am doing well, however, I probably need to have check up with a laryngologist some time this year. I've experienced a little choking at times for reasons unknown to me.

Teresa

@marydwyer51

I feel for all of you.
Does anyone in the group have bilateral paralysis or know someone who does?
Also, is anyone a teacher?

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@marydwyer51 I did teach for a few years, however, the vocal cord problem resulted in too much fatigue and effort so I went back to office work. Teachers need to project and that is too much effort if both vocal cords aren't working.

Teresa

@ken45140

I had right vocal cord paralysis with left bowing and atrophy. Raspy voice for 13 months. Injection medialization improved voice for 4 weeks, but as predicted it reverted to raspy. Very hard to communicate. I had a Gore-Tex thyroplasty on Jun 1, 2012 and have had normal voice from about August until now. Voice quality and volume near normal. The recovery from the thyroplasty is moderately difficult as the swallowing mechanism is way off due to localized edema. Once that resolves, then speaking is as normal as it can be.

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Yes I was. Thank you for helping me, I was not sure how to address him.

@jimjudym4

I have vocal cord paralysis on both of my cords. I am now recovering from surgery #6. I do go to NY to a wonderful doctor but I would be interested if anyone out there has had these problems also and have gont to Mayo Clinic.

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Hello @marydwyer51
I am so sorry for what you are going thru. I also went to Dr. Woo 20yrs ago for vocal cord implant. He filled it once and I just had it filled again with another Doctor he recommended so I did not have to go to the city again. Now he is talking about putting fat in vocal cord to fill it. I guess one step at a time for all of us. It is just difficult going thru this and hoping they are doing the right thing. It is good we have found this group and we are not doing this alone.

@ken45140

I had right vocal cord paralysis with left bowing and atrophy. Raspy voice for 13 months. Injection medialization improved voice for 4 weeks, but as predicted it reverted to raspy. Very hard to communicate. I had a Gore-Tex thyroplasty on Jun 1, 2012 and have had normal voice from about August until now. Voice quality and volume near normal. The recovery from the thyroplasty is moderately difficult as the swallowing mechanism is way off due to localized edema. Once that resolves, then speaking is as normal as it can be.

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Hello @d1215, the best way is to do what I just did and use the members username. Simply use the @ and then the members username right after. This will let the member you want to address specifically know via email notification that they were addressed directly.