Vocal Nodules Surgery - Lasers?

conmcloise

Hello all,

What I want to know is whether anyone here has any experience of having vocal nodules/polyps removed in Ireland? I have an upcoming appointment with an ENT specialist in Dublin after experiencing symptoms which I suspect are due to some sort of vocal polyp or nodule. I lose my voice towards the end of every day, it hurts to talk and at times only a whisper comes out. I also get a continuous pain in my throat and in between my ears. I'm a singer myself, and my general vocal quality is so poor now that my range is massively decreased and I can't sing for more than a few minutes without having to stop because of the pain. I went to a voice teacher to eliminate the possibility of this being down to bad technique - my vocal pain and problems still persist even with the use of proper breathing and technique. My voice is basically next to unusable; I can only manage a low speaking volume.

How very depressing for an aspiring musician! So, after reading some articles on a new treatment which Adele, Keith Urban, John Mayer and (ahem) Holly Willoughby have used (can't post links but they can be found on the NY times site "Advances in Medicine Lead Stars to Surgery" and Billboard website "Ripped Cords: New Treatments Give Mayer, Adele Something to Sing About"), I discovered that vocal surgery - which previously would have been considered an aggressive and often unnecessary procedure owing to the type of technique used - is now a viable option for singers who want to recover a damaged singing voice.

The use of Green Light KTP lasers when removing nodules (instead of the surgeon cauterizing the wound, which would potentially leave scarring) seems to be the advancement that allows safer, more satisfactory healing of the vocal cords. One quote: 'The light beams are extremely accurate and vaporise nodules without damage to surrounding tissue. This is useful on vocal cords, where scarring causes long-term damage to the voice.'

Now, from the articles I found it seems that this technology is definitely in use in the UK, does anyone know whether it is deployed by surgeons in Ireland? I'd love to hear any stories from people who have gone through this procedure either here or abroad!

Wurly

Sorry OP but we are not permitted to give medical advice on Boards.ie

Best of luck for the future.

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