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Surgery on the voice box (larynx) can be performed for many different reasons including optimization of the voice, airway, or swallowing. Depending on the nature of the problem, laryngeal surgery may be performed under general anesthesia through the mouth (or sometimes through an external incision in the neck), under “twilight” sedation through an external incision in the neck, or even under topical anesthesia in a fully awake patient in the office, for certain types of diseases.
A key point that bears repeating is that the larynx, and the vocal folds contained within it, are high value and high functioning tissues, and there is limited room for error in either surgical technique or judgment. Millimeters truly mater in terms of voice and airway outcomes. These outcomes are optimized when surgery is performed by an experienced laryngeal surgeon with access to highly specialized surgical instrumentation and equipment.