An American man whose voice was so high that people mistaken him for a woman has undergone surgery to deepen the sound.
The 26-year-old, who was not named, underwent “voice masculinization” surgery in which doctors modified the vocal cords to make them more relaxed and produce a lower-pitched sound.
The doctor – based in Istanbul, Turkey – who performed the more than $8,000 procedure said his patient had a “dramatic change” in his voice.
He added that the patient felt that the deeper voice had changed his “whole life” and improved both his professional and social life.
A 26-year-old man from the United States underwent voice surgery after being mistaken for a woman. Above are photos before and after surgery
The voice is generated when air is exhaled through the vocal cords – which form a V shape in the throat and are attached to a cartilaginous neck in the larynx.
The sound is largely determined by the tension and length of the vocal cords, with women generally having tighter and shorter cords and men having ‘looser’ and longer ones.
During voice masculinization surgery, doctors manipulate the cartilage to loosen the tightness of the vocal cords and increase their length.
This means that they vibrate at a lower frequency and produce a lower sound.
Other methods of masculinizing the voice include creating a web, or scar band, at the front of the “V” to shorten it and make a voice sound deeper.
This surgery is often offered to transgender adults, who identify as a gender other than the gender they were assigned at birth.
Before the surgery, the patient said, “I’m here for voice masculinization surgery so people don’t mistake me for a woman.”
And after the operation he said – in a much deeper voice: ‘I just had the operation, not very painful, it just felt weird.
“Yes, I’m very happy with (my new voice).”
Dr. Kursat Yelken, an ear, nose and throat specialist who has his own clinic, said: “This man is 26 years old and his vocal frequency is somewhere between the male and female vocal range, close to the male upper limit.
“His main concern was that he would occasionally be seen as a woman on the phone.
“During surgery, I tried different voice tones and completed the procedure when we found a satisfactory depth level.”
He described the operation and said: ‘A diamond-shaped cartilage island was created on the thyroid cartilage and pushed back, allowing the vocal cords to relax and produce a deeper voice.
‘The decrease in voice pitch is directly related to the degree of cartilage relaxation.
‘During the operation I talk to the patient and listen to his voice.
“The patient may experience a change in voice during surgery.
Pictured above is Dr Kursat Yelken, who runs a clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, performing the surgery. The photo on the screen behind him shows the vocal cords
Dr. Yelken, who revealed the surgery online, said the patient had a “dramatic” voice change
“It’s possible to go back and forth and choose the best tone for the patient.
“The procedure is complete when both parties have determined the correct pitch of the voice.”
He added: “This patient had a dramatic change in his voice after surgery.
“When we had a follow-up video consultation a few months later, he said his whole life, including social life and work, has changed.”
Dr. Professor of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Yelken has spent the past fifteen years changing people’s lives and permanently changing the pitch of their voices.
He sees about 100 to 150 patients a year and performs procedures to both deepen and raise their tone by relaxing or tightening their vocal cords.
Research shows that a deeper voice gives a person an ‘aura’ of power, authority and sexual attraction.
But a higher voice, on the other hand, was more closely related to signals of femininity.