Phonatory characteristics following surgical treatment of severe polypoid degeneration

This paper summarizes the results of our research into the efficacy of phonosurgery. Our study group consisted of 25 women whose severe, bilateral polypoid degeneration was managed surgically by one of the following methods: Hirano's technique, mechanical stripping, or CO2 laser enucleation. We found that all three procedures improved the voice. Surgery increased the average speaking fundamental frequency level substantially and improved the phonational range. Listeners' judgments about the appropriateness of vocal pitch and severity of hoarseness also changed positively following surgery. No one method was clearly better than another in improving the voice. However, patients treated using Hirano's method experienced the most rapid return of functional voice use, probably because the procedure is less traumatic and promotes more rapid healing than mechanical stripping or laser removal.