Voice Center

Dedicated to Helping You Restore and Maintain Your Vocal Health 

Has your voice quality changed? Are you experiencing discomfort or strain while speaking or singing? Our fellowship-trained laryngeal surgeon (laryngologist) and speech-language pathologists are here to help. At the UChicago Medicine Voice Center, we offer state-of-the-art care, advanced diagnostics, in-office and surgical procedures, plus personalized voice therapy to treat a wide range of conditions that affect the voice.

We welcome all types of patients, including professional and amateur singers and actors, teachers, lawyers and anyone who is experiencing a problem with their voice. Whether it's your first time seeking voice care or you're looking for a second opinion, we can provide a tailored care plan that's right for you.

Video Visits and Safe, In-Person Care

In-person care services are provided at three convenient locations: Downtown Chicago and Chicago's historic Hyde Park neighborhood, as well as in Orland Park. 

For your convenience, we also offer secure, virtual visits by video with our voice center specialists.

Advanced Vocal Treatment Options

At UChicago Medicine Voice Center, we provide a holistic approach to voice care, taking into account your personal treatment goals. We offer the full range of voice treatment options, including in-office procedures, voice therapy and surgical solutions. These treatments include the following:

• Phonomicrosurgical treatment of benign nodules, polyps, cysts and other disorders 
• Customized voice therapy delivered by certified speech-language pathologists
• In-office injection medialization for vocal cord paralysis
• Botox injections for spasmodic dysphonia
• In-office laser ablation of vocal cord cancer, dysplasia and papilloma using KTP (Potassium Titanyl Phosphate) laser
• Sophisticated voice analysis, including office strobolaryngoscopy, acoustic and aerodynamic measures

What to Expect at Your First Voice Center Visit

At your first visit to the Voice Center, you'll meet with our laryngeal surgeon and a speech-language pathologist. There are several steps to an initial visit, including the following:

• In addition to asking you to describe your voice concern and if you experience any breathing or swallowing problems, we'll go over your personal and family medical history, including any medicines or supplements you take.
• You'll complete a vocal patient questionnaire (PDF) that covers several aspects of vocal health. You may complete the form in advance and either bring it to your appointment or submit it through your MyChart account.
• We'll conduct a thorough voice exam where we'll listen to your voice and use sophisticated equipment to record and analyze several aspects of your voice, including measuring airflow and acoustic levels as you speak or sing.
• Our laryngeal surgeon will exam your throat, nose, ears, sinuses and larynx (voice box), and will use a laryngoscope — a thin, flexible tube affixed with a light and camera — to inspect your vocal folds. This procedure is called a videostrobolaryngoscopy.
• To better evaluate any functional limitations, you may be asked to sing, perform or otherwise use your voice in a manner similar to your normal activity.

Results from the behavioral evaluation, videostrobolaryngoscopy and physical exam are used to develop an action plan with recommendations for treatment options. We'll review the results with you and answer any questions you have.