Ask Me Help Desk - After surgery problems.

In October I had carotid artery surgery in my neck, immediately after the surgery my voice was weak and had a very raspy sound, always before I had always had a very strong voice and was able to speak to a crowd with no problem, well that is not the case now.
My voice does seem to be slightly better now that it has been three months but I am wondering if any of you have known anyone with this problem and if so what was done about it if anything.

The can be various causes. But the most obvious -The carotid artery lies very close to the vagus nerve. Some of the branches of this nerve regulate the movement of your vocal cord in the voice box. It is likely that there has been some damage to this nerve leading the vocal cord of that side being paralysed. You may or may not experience some coughing bouts when you try to drink fluids quickly. The voice is raspy and more importantly you have more pauses in between a sentence for breath compared to before.
Since your one cord is working fine some speech therapy can improve the quality of voice. But if the cord is paralysed its recovery is unlikely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by supriya _82

The can be various causes. But the most obvious -The carotid artery lies very close to the vagus nerve. Some of the branches of this nerve regulate the movement of your vocal cord in the voice box. It is likely that there has been some damage to this nerve leading the vocal cord of that side being paralysed. You may or may not experience some coughing bouts when you try to drink fluids quickly. The voice is raspy and more importantly you have more pauses in between a sentence for breath compared to before.
Since your one cord is working fine some speech therapy can improve the quality of voice. But if the cord is paralysed its recovery is unlikely.

You were so right on when you said that I might experience some coughing bouts when I try to drink fluids quickly, only one difference almost every time I drink fluids some of it seems to go down my windpipe and I do cough quit a bit before it clears my airway. One other symptom I never had before is before the surgery I would usually cough one time when I got up in the morning and I would get up a ball of phlegm and that would be that, now all day long I cough once or twice and each time I get up a ball of phlegm. It is always clear or almost clear.
Since you knew the other symptoms I am having I thought you might tell me something about this.
Thanks for answering my question, I use my voice in my business as well as in every day life so I am really concerned about it and hoping it will return to some form of normalcy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by letmetellu

You were so right on when you said that I might experience some coughing bouts when I try to drink fluids quickly, only one difference almost every time I drink fluids some of it seems to go down my windpipe and I do cough quit a bit before it clears my airway. One other symptom I never had before is before the surgery I would usually cough one time when I got up in the morning and I would get up a ball of phlegm and that would be that, now all day long I cough once or twice and each time I get up a ball of phlegm. It is always clear or almost clear.
Since you knew the other symptoms I am having I thought you might tell me something about this.
Thanks for answering my question, I use my voice in my business as well as in every day life so I am really concerned about it and hoping it will return to some form of normalcy.

Well that is what I meant by coughing bouts - the fluid going down the windpipe making you cough. Generally when you swallow, the vocal cord shut the windpipe preventing fluids from entering the windpipe. With a paralysed vocal cord, the windpipe remains partially open.
Now as your windpipe is a bit vulnerable with the fluids ever so often trickling into it there is a lot of irritation in the windpipe producing more and more phlegm as a protective response.
You shall be well advised to to see a SPEECH/VOICE therapist. It will do you world of good within weeks and improve your swallowing problems as well. But it is unlikely that it will ever be normal as before.
NB. I am assuming that you have discussed this problem with your operating surgeon, and maybe your condition has nothing to do with the surgery, a mere coincidence. It could be a different illness altogether.

(Quote)NB. I am assuming that you have discussed this problem with your operating surgeon, and maybe your condition has nothing to do with the surgery, a mere coincidence. It could be a different illness altogether

My surgeon is on top of the problem and has a voice therapist he is consulting with and I am on schedule to go see him in a couple of weeks.

I think you for your answers and your interest in my questions.