Recovery guide
Vocal Fold Injection Recovery Guide
Worried about a symptom? See when to call usQuick answer: After a vocal fold injection, do not speak or whisper at all for 48 hours. Your voice often improves soon after the rest period ends; it may sound rough or uneven at first and keeps improving over the next several weeks. If the injection was done awake with your throat numbed, wait 2 hours before eating or drinking. Call us if your throat feels increasingly full, your voice gets worse, or swallowing becomes difficult in the days afterward.
Recovery at a glance
- First 2 hoursIf it was done awake with your throat numbed, nothing to eat or drink.
- First 48 hoursComplete voice rest: no speaking or whispering.
- First few daysA sore throat and some discomfort swallowing.
- Over several weeksYour voice often improves soon after the rest ends. It may sound rough at first.
What should I expect?
- Throat pain for a few days. Mild discomfort can occasionally last up to a week.
- Some discomfort when swallowing at first.
- Your voice often improves soon after the rest period ends. It may sound rough or uneven at first and keeps improving over the next several weeks.
How do I rest my voice?
- Do not speak or whisper at all for 48 hours.
- This keeps the injected material from leaking out of the injection site while it heals.
- Avoid coughing and clearing your throat. If you feel the urge, swallow hard or take a sip of water instead.
How do I take care of myself?
- If the injection was done awake, with your throat numbed: do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours, until the numbness wears off.
- After that, or right away if you were asleep for the procedure, eat a normal diet.
- Drink plenty of water: aim for about 60 ounces (7 to 8 cups) a day unless you have been told to limit fluids.
- Keep taking reflux medicine if it was prescribed.
- Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) as needed for pain.
- Do not smoke or vape until your surgeon confirms you have healed. Smoking slows healing and raises the chance of infection; quitting for good helps most.
- If you had sedation or general anesthesia: for 24 hours, do not drive, drink alcohol, use machinery or sign important papers. After general anesthesia, we recommend having an adult stay with you the first night.
When should I call?
Call us for
- A temperature of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher that lasts more than 24 hours or starts 3 or more days after the procedure, or any temperature of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher. Use a thermometer, and check it just before the next dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, because both lower fever.
- Throat pain that gets worse or becomes severe
- In the 10 days after the injection: a new or growing feeling of fullness in the throat, a voice that gets worse instead of better, or new trouble swallowing. Call us the same day.
- Signs of not drinking enough: peeing less than every 8 hours, dark yellow pee, a dry, sticky mouth, dizziness when standing, or being unusually sleepy or hard to wake. Call us the same day if you notice these, or if pain keeps you from drinking.
Call 911 or go to the ER for
Any trouble breathing, or noisy or high-pitched breathing.
Austin 512-339-4040 · Lakeway 512-682-4798 · Marble Falls 830-992-2830 · Dripping Springs 512-339-4040
Questions patients ask
Do not speak or whisper at all for 48 hours, so the injected material stays in place while it heals.
Your voice often improves soon after the rest period ends. It may sound rough or uneven at first and keeps improving over the next several weeks.
No. Do not speak or whisper at all for the first 48 hours.
If the injection was done awake with your throat numbed, wait 2 hours, until the numbness wears off, before eating or drinking. If you were asleep for the procedure, you can eat a normal diet right away.
In the 10 days afterward, call us the same day for a new or growing feeling of fullness in the throat, a voice that gets worse instead of better, or new trouble swallowing. Call 911 for any trouble breathing or noisy, high-pitched breathing.
This guide is for educational purposes only and does not replace an in-person evaluation. If your surgeon gave you different instructions, follow theirs.
Scan for the full guide
capitalent.com/vocal-fold-injection-recovery.html
Sources
- Sørensen LT. Wound healing and infection in surgery. The clinical impact of smoking and smoking cessation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Surgery. 2012;147(4):373-383. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2012.5