Voice gel and processed cadaver skin may be the answer to avoid surgery in some instances...BD
A public relations executive in Evanston, Ill., Mr. Boyer, now 60, had undergone surgery for a slipped disc, a result, most likely, of hauling 75-pound bags of equipment for a youth baseball league, he said.
During the operation, the nerve leading to the vocal cords was somehow damaged. One vocal cord was paralyzed, and his usual baritone was reduced to a weak, breathy whisper.
The procedure, which can be performed in a doctor’s office with local anesthesia, is gaining ground, experts said. Patients and doctors are realizing that people cannot afford to be without their voices, even for a few months. He decided to try an immediate, if temporary, solution. Mr. Boyer had the paralyzed vocal cord injected with a biodegradable gel, a close cousin of a substance used to smooth wrinkles.
Another temporary material, Cymetra, made from the processed cadaver skin, is used for vocal cord injections, as well as cosmetic procedures.)
Voice gel and processed cadaver skin may be the answer to avoid surgery in some instances...BD
Vocal Chords - Surgery - Larynx - New York Times