# Removal of ligament? **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [July 13, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/removal-of-ligament/7500 "2020-07-13T17:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jessicarae87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@jessicarae87](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/u/jessicarae87)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/removal-of-ligament/7500/1 "2020-07-13T17:12:30Z")
Hi everybody! Can anyone comment on how removal of the stylohyoid ligament affected their voice? I’ve read that the ligament only plays a small role in swallowing, and other muscles, etc take over for lifting the larynx after it’s removed? Did anyone feel any difference in their talking or singing voice following surgery and the removal of this ligament, or only improvement? Any clarification on this is greatly appreciated… I’d also love to know (generally speaking) - how long it took after surgery for people to feel back to their normal voice…or how long after surgery they could talk normally, sing or use their voice heavily without issues? Thanks everybody!! ---
**Author:** ![Jules](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.livingwitheagle.org/jules/32/404_2.png) [@Jules](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/u/Jules)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/removal-of-ligament/7500/2 "2020-07-13T21:00:13Z")
If the ligament is calcified, then it should be removed, but if it’s not, then is usually left it, but still has to be detached from the styloid process, as it’s attached & to shorten the SP it has to be cut anyway. It doesn’t seem to make any difference to swallowing, voice etc. After surgery my voice was fine straightaway, no difference, & the same with swallowing. Chewing & opening my mouth wide was uncomfortable, for a week or two afterwards. I think others have found that talking was a strain though, for a couple of weeks afterwards, we’ve had quite a few teachers who’ve found this hard so have had to delay going back to work. Here’s a link that you might find helpful: > [@Voice change/problems](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/voice-change-problems/4455/7): > > Hi @amanda81! I might be a snapshot of ‘you’, several years in the future. I was a professional singer and wind musician, plus classical guitarist and amateur pianist. My med records show that I complained about the sensation of a bone in my throat for 35 years. In the beginning it would flare up in high school during marching band season and I would lose my voice during that time (missing choir) - I had a saxophone hanging on my neck in marching band - oye vey! Luckily the uniforms had stiff … Hopefully others might chip in with more info! ---
**Author:** ![dtcolbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@dtcolbert](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/u/dtcolbert)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/removal-of-ligament/7500/3 "2020-07-15T23:19:10Z")
I’m a singer-songwriter, and I have not had any adverse affect for my voice following removal (3.5 of 3.8 cm). All good! ---
**Author:** ![jessicarae87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@jessicarae87](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/u/jessicarae87)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2020, 11:56pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/removal-of-ligament/7500/4 "2020-07-15T23:56:34Z")
Hi, I’m so glad to hear that - very encouraging! Were you having voice problems as ES symptoms before the surgery? And they removed the ligament altogether and you don’t feel issues with that in your singing? May I ask which type of surgery you got? I It seems most people recommend the external and removing the ligament entirely…I also just talked to a surgeon who does the transoral endoscopic surgery and the ligament is detached since the SP is shortened, but he says he just leaves it in there and “your body just absorbs it” !? I’d love to know which you had. Thank you 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dtcolbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@dtcolbert](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/u/dtcolbert)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/removal-of-ligament/7500/5 "2020-07-16T17:52:37Z")
Hi Jessica, No, I didn’t have any vocal cord problem. (I have GERD, which can make my throat scratchy, but that’s a separate issue.) I don’t think the surgery affected my voice one way or another. I had intra-oral, recommended by my doc as easier recovery and more likely for greater success. Glad I did it that way. Don’t know if he took out the ligament - just saw a pic of the whole bone!