Kyoto ENT Surgicenter

Kyoto ENT Surgicenter

Vocal Tuning Surgery

Anterior Glottoplasty

At our clinic, in addition to thyroplasty, we also perform anterior glottoplasty (Wendler’s glottoplasty) to raise the voice pitch for trans female. Unlike thyroplasty, this procedure is performed under general anesthesia, so voice pitch cannot be adjusted during the operation.
However, since it is performed through the mouth, no external skin incisions are needed. Therefore, this option is recommended for patients with keloid-prone skin or those who strongly prefer to avoid neck incisions. Additionally, compared to type IV thyroplasty, this technique better preserves the vocal range, making it a suitable choice for those who sing.
Wendler’s glottoplasty
Vocal pitch elevation after transexialism male to female:  Proceedings of the European Phoniatricians. 1990 
As vibration part becomes half, frequency becomes double
Comparison with Type lV​
Procedure
Intraoperative adjustment​
Recovery time​
Anesthesia
Vocal range
Vocal quality
Type lV
days
local
narrow
stable
Glottoplasty
×
weeks
general
wide
unstable
Type lV
Intraoperative adjustment​
Recovery time​
days
Anesthesia
local
Vocal range
narrow
Vocal quality
stable
Glottoplasty
Intraoperative adjustment​
×
Recovery time​
weeks
Anesthesia
general
Vocal range
wide
Vocal quality
unstable