A tracheal shave, also called Adam's apple reduction, Adam's apple reduction or chondrolaryngoplasty, aims to reduce the Adam's apple of trans women. It is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the context of a Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS).
If you compare the profile of a man's and a woman's neck, you will clearly see a 'bulge' in the male profile; the Adam's apple. Due to the increase in testosterone levels in boys during puberty, the cartilage of the larynx grows. The vocal cords (which are muscles) also become thicker. Therefore, a voice change takes place and a man's voice will deepen during puberty.
First we need to check how much cartilage can be removed from the larynx without damaging the vocal cords. They are located just below the Adam's apple. During the operation, a needle is placed from the outside inwards through the thyroid cartilage at the location where we would like to remove the cartilage. The anesthetist then uses an endoscope to check whether the needle is above the vocal cords, in other words, whether we can remove as much of the Adam's apple without damaging the vocal cords. This method is extremely accurate.
General anesthesia—Adam’s apple reduction is often performed under general anesthesia in conjunction with other procedures. The procedure takes about 1 hour.
