Chondrolaryngoplasty
Encyclopedia
Chondrolaryngoplasty is a surgical
procedure in which the thyroid cartilage
is reduced in size by shaving down the cartilage
through an incision in the throat, generally to aid trans women
in achieving a passable female appearance, and occasionally on cisgender
men and women who are uncomfortable with the girth of their Adam's apple
.
or general, depending on whether or not it is the only surgery to be performed) is administered to the patient, a small, horizontal incision is made on the bottom of the Adam's apple. The muscles in the throat are then held apart with forceps
, and the protruding cartilage is shaved down with a scalpel
, thus making the throat appear smoother and less angular. The incision is then closed with sutures, and a red line will mark the incision for about six weeks. Little scarring occurs in most cases because the surgeon will usually make the incision in one of the minuscule folds of skin that cover the Adam's apple.
The surgery is usually outpatient unless it is combined with other surgeries that require hospital stays. Particular care must be taken by the surgeon to not remove too much cartilage, as doing so can reduce the structure of the trachea
and cause breathing difficulties.
Most surgeons who specialize in transsexual surgeries will perform it, and some general plastic surgeons will as well. It is likely the most common surgery performed on transsexual women, other than sex reassignment surgery
.
Due to the proximity to the vocal folds, there is the small possibility that they may be damaged during this type of surgery. While the effects of a trachea shave on voice are minimal, some patients will choose to undergo vocal surgery at the same time.
of the patient's voice, though some report slight changes. Swelling and bruising around the site of the incision is the most common phase of recovery. Difficulty swallowing and speaking is also a common effect, to a greater or lesser degree depending on the individual.
The average time for complete recovery is about two weeks, though sometimes it takes longer than that depending on pre-existing medical conditions the patient has, for instance, anemia
.
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
procedure in which the thyroid cartilage
Thyroid cartilage
The thyroid cartilage is the largest of the nine cartilages that make up the laryngeal skeleton, the cartilage structure in and around the trachea that contains the larynx....
is reduced in size by shaving down the cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
through an incision in the throat, generally to aid trans women
Trans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...
in achieving a passable female appearance, and occasionally on cisgender
Cisgender
Cisgender is an adjective used in the context of gender issues and counselling to refer to a class of gender identities formed by a match between an individual's gender identity and the behavior or role considered appropriate for one's sex.Kristen Schilt and Laurel Westbrook defined "cisgender"...
men and women who are uncomfortable with the girth of their Adam's apple
Adam's apple
The laryngeal prominence—commonly known as the Adam's Apple—is a feature of the human neck. This lump, or protrusion, is formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx...
.
Surgery
After an anesthetic (localLocal anesthetic
A local anesthetic is a drug that causes reversible local anesthesia, generally for the aim of having local analgesic effect, that is, inducing absence of pain sensation, although other local senses are often affected as well...
or general, depending on whether or not it is the only surgery to be performed) is administered to the patient, a small, horizontal incision is made on the bottom of the Adam's apple. The muscles in the throat are then held apart with forceps
Forceps
Forceps or forcipes are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Forceps are used when fingers are too large to grasp small objects or when many objects need to be held at one time while the hands are used to perform a task. The term 'forceps' is used almost exclusively...
, and the protruding cartilage is shaved down with a scalpel
Scalpel
A scalpel, or lancet, is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, and various arts and crafts . Scalpels may be single-use disposable or re-usable. Re-usable scalpels can have attached, resharpenable blades or, more commonly, non-attached, replaceable...
, thus making the throat appear smoother and less angular. The incision is then closed with sutures, and a red line will mark the incision for about six weeks. Little scarring occurs in most cases because the surgeon will usually make the incision in one of the minuscule folds of skin that cover the Adam's apple.
The surgery is usually outpatient unless it is combined with other surgeries that require hospital stays. Particular care must be taken by the surgeon to not remove too much cartilage, as doing so can reduce the structure of the trachea
Vertebrate trachea
In tetrapod anatomy the trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that connects the pharynx or larynx to the lungs, allowing the passage of air. It is lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium cells with goblet cells that produce mucus...
and cause breathing difficulties.
Most surgeons who specialize in transsexual surgeries will perform it, and some general plastic surgeons will as well. It is likely the most common surgery performed on transsexual women, other than sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
.
Due to the proximity to the vocal folds, there is the small possibility that they may be damaged during this type of surgery. While the effects of a trachea shave on voice are minimal, some patients will choose to undergo vocal surgery at the same time.
Recovery
Most surgeons will tell the patient to frequently rub the site of the incision to prevent noticeable scar tissue from forming. By and large, the surgery does not change the pitchPitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
of the patient's voice, though some report slight changes. Swelling and bruising around the site of the incision is the most common phase of recovery. Difficulty swallowing and speaking is also a common effect, to a greater or lesser degree depending on the individual.
The average time for complete recovery is about two weeks, though sometimes it takes longer than that depending on pre-existing medical conditions the patient has, for instance, anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
.