A Pilot Study on Voice Therapy Methods for Voice Recovery in Post-Thyroidectomy Syndrome
10.22469/jkslp.2025.36.1.12
- Author:
Ji Sung KIM
1
;
Hahn Jin JUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Graduate School of Public Health & Welfare, Konyang University, Daejeon, Korea
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology Phoniatrics and Logopedics
2025;36(1):12-18
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Background and Objectives:Post-thyroidectomy syndrome (PTS) refers to voice problems that occur after thyroidectomy without laryngeal nerve injury, often affecting vocal function and quality of life. This study aims to develop and evaluate a tailored voice therapy program for PTS and assess its effectiveness through both objective and subjective voice measures.Materials and Method This study included patients who underwent thyroidectomy. The therapy group consisted of seven female patients diagnosed with PTS by a laryngologist 2 weeks postoperatively. The control group was matched for age, sex, and surgical extent. Voice evaluation included both objective acoustic analysis and subjective evaluations using the Korean Voice Handicap Index-10 (K-VHI-10) and the Korean Voice Fatigue Index (K-VFI). The therapy program incorporated neck exercises and semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTE). The voice therapy program consisted of a single 40-minute direct session provided by a speech-language pathologist, followed by a 2-week period of patient-performed home exercises.
Results:The therapy group showed significant improvements in minimum pitch (p=0.035) and pitch range (p=0.013) compared to the control group. Additionally, subjective evaluations revealed significantly lower K-VHI-10 (p=0.003) and K-VFI (p=0.040) scores in the therapy group than in the control group.
Conclusion:The voice therapy program for PTS effectively improved pitch-related problems and subjective voice outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of early voice therapy intervention in optimizing postoperative voice recovery. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate these results and refine treatment protocols.
