Current approaches to gender-affirming vocal care.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review addresses the challenges faced by transgender women in achieving congruence between gender identity and voice characteristics and emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving therapeutic and surgical interventions. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent literature on gender-affirming vocal care emphasizes key themes such as assessment, voice feminization therapy, and various surgical techniques, including glottoplasty and its modifications. Recent publications focused on outcomes, duration, and impact on vocal quality and scrutinized complications associated with surgical interventions. SUMMARY: Most publications in the last 18 months advocate for the integration of voice therapy and surgery for optimal outcomes. Utilising a combined approach is significantly more effective in terms of fundamental frequency gain compared to therapy alone. Modified Wendler's glottoplasty remains the preferred and most reliable surgical intervention. However, surgery is not without its complications and vocal trade-offs, in particular, its impact on vocal projection and the risk of long-term dysphonia. Postsurgery rehabilitation improves long-term outcomes. Recent publications on alternative surgical approaches, namely laser reduction glottoplasty and feminization laryngoplasty, show promise but the results are more difficult to generalise. FUTURE DIRECTION: Prospective multicentre studies with standardized protocols are needed to establish best evidence-based practices.

Voice and Speech Training for the Transgendered Patient: What the Otolaryngologist Should Know.

Vocal dysphoria is present for many transgender individuals. Voice goals are defined by each individual client. Voice modification work can be challenging for both clinicians and clients, involving both direct and indirect aspects of intervention. The latter are likely to be less known to otolaryngologists but can form a significant part of clinical practice for experienced speech pathologists. Varying experience levels of treating clinicians can in turn have a bearing on the vocal outcomes achieved by clients. Those who do seek surgical assistance benefit from appropriate presurgery speech and language therapy evaluation and postsurgical voice rehabilitation and treatment.