Changing the vocal characteristics of a postoperative transsexual patient: a longitudinal study

The vocal characteristics of a 63-year-old individual who underwent male-to-female sex reassignment surgery were evaluated. Treatment was designed to alter inappropriate male voice characteristics. Speech goals were to (1) encourage use of successively higher pitch levels, and (2) modify tongue carriage to change resonance. After 11 months of therapy, average fundamental frequency for /i, a, u/ vowels changed from 110 to 205 Hz. Also, second formant frequency values changed remarkably for each of these vowels, with the greatest frequency change being 291 Hz for /i/. These acoustic differences could account for the perception of femininity in her posttreatment voice. Maintenance of these acoustic features was found five years posttreatment.