Our philosophy is simple: perform a skilled voice operation; prevent short and long-term complications; and maintain or improve your aesthetic appearance after surgery. This is accomplished by taking a comprehensive approach to your surgery, which involves two teams working simultaneously. Before all procedures, Dr. Hamilton (plastic surgeon) and our voice surgeon have a conference to plan your surgery.

Incisions, voice surgery, and plastic surgical options are discussed for every patient before surgery is performed. The pre-operative conference allows the doctors to account for individual differences between cases, which leads to a customized plan for each patient. Dr. Hamilton and your surgeon then work hand-in-hand throughout your entire operation to achieve the best results possible.

i am performer who is on-camera for a living.
i cannot afford to have a visible scar on my neck.
what can be done to prevent this? 

The most important factor in preventing an unsightly scar from forming is ensuring perfect closure of an incision at the time of the original procedure. That is why our surgeon partners with Dr. Hamilton to ensure the best cosmetic result. After your thyroplasty is done, Dr. Hamilton will perform the entire closure of your wound, thereby minimizing unsightly scar formation.

Of course a vocal cord injection involves no incisions in your neck. For those performers who are particularly concerned about scars, or for those who know they form thick or unsightly scars, repeated injections may be a preferred option. Your doctor will discuss all options for you and consider what would provide you with the best result.

my appearance is important to me and i have noticed my neck beginning to sag.
can this be addressed at the same time as my thyroplasty? 

Because thyroplasty involves a neck incision, it gives us the unique opportunity to help cosmetic neck issues as well. Through a revolutionary procedure developed by Dr. Hamilton, the same incision can be used to decrease the sagging, rejuvenating the appearance of your neck.

i do not want an incision in my neck. is there another option? 

Careful consideration of your case may indicate that there are other options available to you that do not involve a neck incision. Only after examination and consultation can it be determine if you qualify for alternative procedures.

revision of neck scars 

Many vocal cord problems arise due to previous surgery, including thyroidectomy and spine surgery (involving the cervical/neck spine). These surgeries require an incision be made in the neck. It is exceedingly uncommon for plastic surgeons to be involved in these procedures and therefore the surgeon closing the initial wound is not skilled in the finer techniques of wound closure. This may result in an unsightly scar. Because of the conspicuous location in the middle of the neck, patients are often troubled by their scar.

At the Osborne Head and Neck Institute, we understand the importance of the appearance of this scar. During your voice procedure, an additional procedure may be performed by Dr. Hamilton, a fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon. He will analyze your scar and determine a plan for scar revision, be it surgical or non-surgical. He will continue to work with you until you are more pleased with the appearance of your neck incision.