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Internationally renowned voice surgeon
and team open MGH Voice Center
Advanced voice care sought by stars
available to all
BOSTON - May 5, 2005 - Communicating through voice is something
often taken for granted - until, that is, a person's vocal ability
is threatened, diminished or even eliminated. And for those whose
livelihood depends on the voice, any disorder that limits the ability
to speak, teach, sing, preach, act, debate or lecture can be truly
devastating. Chronic hoarseness should be taken seriously, even
by those who do not necessarily depend on their voice to make a
living. This common complaint, in fact, can be a symptom of a serious
underlying disorder or disease.
The new MGH Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation
- the MGH Voice Center - under the direction of Steven Zeitels,
MD, FACS, was recently established within the MGH Department of
Surgery to integrate a range of clinical services for patients with
voice disorders with research focused on new and improved ways of
diagnosing, treating and preventing vocal problems. Robert Hillman,
PhD, a speech pathologist and voice scientist funded by the National
Institutes of Health since 1984, serves as co-director and research
director of the center. The center also involves a multidisciplinary
team of surgeons, speech-language pathologists and scientists who
have worked together for more than a dozen years before relocating
to the MGH.
Zeitels has spent his career focused on understanding the intricacies
of the voice and deciphering the many ways it can go awry. He has
earned an international reputation for his specialized and highly
tailored approach to diagnosing, treating and managing voice disorders,
from common hoarseness associated with overuse to extraordinarily
rare types of laryngeal cancers. Although his skills have led many
well-known entertainers including Julie Andrews, Steven Tyler, Cher,
Denyce Graves and Frederica Von Stade - to seek his care and advice,
Zeitels makes it clear that "the MGH Voice Center has been
specifically designed so that my team and I can provide the kinds
of advanced care sought by high-profile performers to anyone who
is experiencing voice problems."
According to Zeitels, voice disorders can be attributed to a multitude
of factors -including overuse, chronic disease, lesions, infection
or damage to vocal cords from such things as trauma or intubation
during surgery. "Our goal is to figure out exactly what the
underlying problem is, design the right treatment for that disorder
and then help our patients overcome their vocal dysfunction,"
says Zeitels, who is the Eugene Casey Chair of Laryngeal Surgery
at Harvard Medical School. "Following treatment, we continue
to work with patients in vocal rehabilitation, training them in
techniques aimed at preserving, strengthening and respecting their
vocal muscles and their voice."
One of the most significant advances for voice disorders in recent
years, says Zeitels, is his team's pioneering use of the pulsed-dye
laser (PDL) to treat laryngeal lesions and diseases. Developed originally
for skin conditions, the PDL has been effective in specifically
targeting lesions on the vocal cords while preserving adjacent healthy
vocal tissue. Zeitels - who along with Rox Anderson, MD, director
of the MGH's Wellman Center of Photomedicine, developed PDL protocols
for laryngeal lesions - recently began using this type of laser
to treat vocal cord cancers. And the early results appear to be
quite promising. The PDL works by using non-ionizing radiation to
block blood supply to the cancer, shrinking the tumor and reducing
or preventing the need for traditional surgery that involves cauterizing,
excising, scarring and damaging delicate vocal membranes.
"The PDL is having an enormously dramatic effect on patients'
lives," says Zeitels. "This tissue-sparing technology
has enabled us to offer a treatment that is more comfortable and
better tolerated by our patients. And we're very excited about the
results we're seeing using the PDL to treat cancer in its preliminary
early stages."
Other research at the center that is also aimed at improving the
diagnosis and treatment of voice disorders includes work in collaboration
with Robert Langer, PhD, of MIT on a bio-implant to restore function
to damaged vocal cords; development of the first voice neural prosthesis
for laryngectomy patients (those who have had their larynx removed
because of advanced cancer); and development of a wearable voice
monitor and biofeedback voice treatment system, analogous to the
Holter heart monitor.
The new MGH Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation
- located at 1 Bowdoin Square in Boston, three blocks up Cambridge
Street from the MGH - is a state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment
laboratory designed to initiate, facilitate and enhance clinical
advancements. The spacious and welcoming center is outfitted with
the most current instrumentation, equipment and technology used
in the outpatient management of vocal cord problems. A clinical
laboratory allows for the acoustic and aerodynamic assessment of
vocal function. A specially outfitted voice studio features a baby
grand piano and recording/playback equipment for rehabilitation
of professional voice users, most notably singers.
According to MGH surgeon-in-chief Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, the Center
for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation represents a vital
expansion of the MGH's thoracic surgery capabilities. "This
wonderful new facility supports and builds upon the longstanding
collaboration between laryngologists and thoracic surgeons,"
Warshaw says. "The talent and expertise that Dr. Zeitels and
his team have brought to the MGH provide wonderful synergy with
many other programs at the hospital, enriching and extending the
spectrum of services we can provide to patients."
Massachusetts General Hospital, established in 1811, is the original
and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH
conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United
States, with an annual research budget of more than $450 million
and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer,
cutaneous biology, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders,
transplantation biology and photomedicine. In 1994, MGH and Brigham
and Women's Hospital joined to form Partners HealthCare System,
an integrated health care delivery system comprising the two academic
medical centers, specialty and community hospitals, a network of
physician groups, and nonacute and home health services.
Media Contact: Emily
Parker, MGH Public Affairs
Physician Referral Service: 1-800-388-4644
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