Decreasing the mass of the vocal cords also raises the pitch of the voice. A local injection with steroid will cause part of the vocal cord to atrophy which then raises its pitch. A laser can also be used to vaporize portions of the vocal cords. The resulting decrease in mass and increase in stiffness due to scarring significantly raises the pitch of the voice. Patients go home that day and are required to rest their voices for the first 48 hours following surgery.
Most patients are ready to return to regular activity within one week.
Over the next several weeks, the patient may be hoarse but the pitch will ultimately stabilize by about three months. Therefore, if a second procedure is required, it will not be performed for at least three months after the first procedure. The pitch can be raised by 100 Hz or more and sounds very natural during conversational speech.