The Impact of Timing of Voice Therapy in the Vocal Outcomes of Surgically Treated Benign Vocal Fold Lesion Patients

This study aimed to examine the impact of the timing of voice therapy on vocal outcomes in patients post-surgery for benign vocal fold lesions.The study prospectively assessed 20 patients undergoing phonomicrosurgery for benign vocal fold lesions. Participants were categorized into early voice therapy (within 7 days), late voice therapy (after 7 days), and no voice therapy groups. Vocal outcomes were assessed using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V).Early voice therapy led to significant improvements in post-operative VHI scores (p = 0.001) and CAPE-V scores (p = 0.014199), whereas delayed or no therapy showed less pronounced improvements. No significant differences were observed in preoperative VHI and CAPE-V scores among the groups.Early initiation of voice therapy post-surgery significantly improves vocal outcomes in patients with benign vocal fold lesions. These findings advocate for the integration of early voice therapy into post-operative care protocols.