If you have had vocal fold surgery for a benign vocal fold lesion, your recovery will normally take about 6 weeks from surgery to stage.

This is a guide, not a promise. Returning to ‘stage’ is relative, it means you will be singing again, able to begin medium-impact singing for a limited time.

The exercises will be tailored to your individual needs and habits of voice use. We will consider your speaking habits as well as your singing voice. We can include manual therapy if this is useful (often this is guided self-massage). This is a person-centred approach; there is no set protocol, it is guided by your personal experience and sensations, alongside my knowledge of voice healing and change.

We can break this down into three two-week stages:

• Initial tissue healing – at the end of this period you will probably have a check-up with your laryngologist, making sure that the site of the surgery is healing well.
• Building back your vocal function for low-impact tasks such as conversational speaking and gentle extended pitch glides.
• Returning to singing-based phonation with the easiest function, letting go of any compensatory habits that may have crept in while using the voice with injury.

At the end of this time, Vocal Habilitation can begin. This is a longer-term process of restoration of the most effective voice use for your chosen genre of singing.

Immediately after your surgery you will have two days of total voice rest. During this time, aim to rest your body, keep any exercise gentle, stay hydrated. If you feel sore or claggy, use steaming to soothe your throat, so that you can avoid coughing or throat-clearing.

Your first 30-minute online session is the start of using your voice, you will be guided through the initial exercises and feel your new voice for the first time. This may feel a bit weak, husky, or claggy; that’s normal. You can now use simple straw phonation in water with gentle pitch glides using your easy speaking range. This can be the precursor for any speaking you do. For the first week, aim to speak for a maximum of 5 minutes in each hour.

Your second 30-minute online session will be during your second week post-surgery. We will check on your progress, how you are feeling in yourself, and how your voice is sounding when you speak gently. Exercises will extend the pitch glides slightly beyond speaking pitch. You can gradually increase your speaking time in each day. Use this as an opportunity to observe your habitual patterns – notice them without judgement!

At the end of this first stage of the rehabilitation process, you may have a follow-up appointment with your surgeon. This is to check that the site is healing well. If the surgeon notices any post-operative swelling or bleeding, they may recommend an extended first or second stage. The plan is flexible enough to accommodate that, this will be coordinated with all members of the voice care team. After this check-up we will begin the second and then the third stages of rehabilitation. This will be tailored to your needs: the type of surgery you had, and the genre of music you perform. We can plan your return to work, being cautious when needed and yet not delaying this unnecessarily.

We may continue with 30-minute online sessions, with the aim of having a couple of one-hour sessions to work together on singing rehabilitation. The total time for rehabilitation will be 3 or 4 hours together, over the six-week period. If you are also working with a Speech Therapist, we can work together. I am also happy to provide a follow-up report for your surgeon.

This is a tried-and tested pathway, together we will get you back on track.