Yeson Voice Center / Artceum

Voice Feminization Surgery

The new method of voice feminization surgery, called “Vocal Fold Shortening and Advancement of Anterior Commissure”, is the world’s first treatment that does not incise the skin and get the same result of modifying the vocal cord to a female shape using an endoscope. This procedure which was developed by Yeson Voice Center was presented at the Voice Foundation Association in the United States on May 29, 2007.

Surgical principle & process
Voice pitch determines by the size and the length of vocal fold. To help you understand better, it is the same logic with a musical instrument, guitar. Thick and long string makes a low pitch, thin and short makes a high pitch. Male and female vocal fold sizes are different; male’s is thick and long, but female’s is thin and short. VFS AAC (Vocal Fold Shortening and Advancement of Anterior Commissure) was developed by Yeson Voice Center. The surgical procedure is dissecting the anterior 1/3 portion of vocal fold membrane, then it makes the high voice tone.

There are 5 major methods used for Male to Female Voice Phonoplasty.
1. Cricothyrodiopexy
2. Laser assisted thyro-arytenoid muscle resection
3. Laser assisted voice adjustment: LAVA
4. Anterior Web Creation 
5. thyroid cartilage and vocal fold reduction

Percutaneous Injection Laryngoplasty

Percutaneous Injection Laryngoplasty is a new method developed to improve the operating procedures using electromyogram. Without the need of anesthesia, this new process preserves major vocal membrane and vocal layer, and allows for inserting an organic prosthesis in the right place. The electrymyogrammic needle helps to spot and insert the material, improving the voice dramatically almost permanently. Electromyogram was tested approximately 1000 times on animals, and was first introduced in 1991. Clinical studies were presented to the National Learned Society (4th Korean Otolaryngology General Learned Society Presentation 1998), as well as to the International one (2nd East Asian Orthopedic Learned Society), and it was also presented at the 32nd American Voice Learned Society in Philadelphia on June 8th 2003 (The Voice Foundation's 32nd Annual Symposium).

Advantagesof Injection Laryngoplasty
1. General anesthesia is not necessary.
2. It only takes about fifteen to twenty minutes operation.
3. Treatment is possible irrespective of health condition of the patient.
4. Hospitalization is not required.
5. Incision is not required.
6. Different treatments are available through different drugs in accordance with the patient's condition.
7. Insertion in the right area is possible depending on the illness of patients.

PDL Laryngeal Surgery

Yeson Voice Center implemented the Photo Genica SV PDL (Pulsed Dye Laser) from Cynosure Inc. U.S. This implementation is the first domestically, but also used in Asia. This equipment can perform Laryngeal Surgery without general anesthesia using digital laryngoscope. This laser equipment is totally new, high tech laser surgery equipment, which is a Pulsed dye laser Laryngeal Surgery equipment, and it only requires partial anesthesia. This Pulsed dye laser selects and solidifies only blood vessels at vocal band. It does not damage the healthy tissue. It selects and destroys only the abnormal tissue. The 585nm Pulsed Dye Laser Surgery guides the Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL) with optical fiber and connects it through the digital electric laryngoscope channel so it does not harm laryngeal and surrounding tissue. It destroys only the cause of disease so we can increase safety and satisfaction of surgery.

Advantages of PDL Surgery
1. Only local anesthesia is required for surgery
2. Day surgery is possible. Hospitalization is not required.
3. The surgery is bloodless, safe and effective 
4. No damage on laryngeal tissue
5. Excellent restoration of tissue in surgical region
6. Excellence in improving voice by rearranging collagen
7. Short surgical time with only around 20 minutes.
8. No painful procedure during and after surgery.