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Tracheal shave

Tracheal shave

Table of contents:

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.

Gender of the trachea

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.

Difference between male and female zone of the larynx

Feminizing the larynx area

By means of an Adam's apple reduction, the Adam's apple can be completely or partially removed.
Location of the incision for an Adam's apple reduction: in the natural crease where the chin and neck meet
Note: An Adam's apple reduction is not intended to permanently change the pitch of your voice. If you want to change the pitch of your voice, a speech therapist can help you. In some cases, feminization voice surgery will be necessary. Below you will find all information about caring for your voice after Adam's apple reduction.

Tracheal shave explained

The Doctors Team

Procedure

An Adam's apple reduction is a simple procedure. The tracheal cartilage is removed so that the Adam's apple no longer protrudes.

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—An Adam's apple reduction is often performed under general anesthesia in combination with other procedures. The procedure takes about 30 minutes. If this is the only operation performed, it can be done under local anesthesia.
Incision—An incision is made approximately 2 cm below the chin, hidden in a natural fold of the skin if possible. From there, a tunnel is made to reach the cartilage of the larynx. A year after the procedure, all that remains is a thin white scar.
Location of the incision for an Adam's apple reduction: in the natural crease where the chin and neck meet
With a scalpel, the protruding piece of cartilage and its upper edge are reduced, taking into account anatomically safe parameters.
It is very important that a Facial Feminization surgeon performs this procedure. An Adam's apple reduction involves abrading some of the cartilage that protects your vocal cords. Someone with little or no experience in this area can easily remove too much cartilage, which can lead to permanent damage to your voice. Or too little cartilage is removed because one is too careful, so that the Adam's apple is still visible.

Recovery