Diagnosis
Your Consultation and Evaluation
What happens at a full voice consultation
What is the difference at the Center for Vocal Health?
These days, it is not as hard as it used to be to get a picture of your vocal cords.
Though the vocal cords are hidden inside the throat, cameras and endoscopes have evolved to permit most doctors to examine the vocal cords.
Below are some of the key features that make the Center for Vocal Health the only option for vocal athletes.
THE NEEDS OF A VOCAL ATHLETE
TRAINING
Our doctor is a fellowship-trained laryngologist. Not an ENT. Not an otolaryngologist.
Dr. Reena Gupta trained in ENT did an extra year of training in Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice. She has the highest level of training available in voice medicine and surgery.
Laryngology fellowship means committing your time, brain, heart, and career to the exclusive practice of voice medicine.
EXAM TYPE
A scope in the nose or scope in the mouth? Believe it or not, it matters. A nasal scope is often used by general ENTs. This scope has lower resolution and illumination and is rarely coupled with stroboscopy Transoral (through the mouth) stroboscopy is the standard of care and is done on every patient seen at CVH .
RECORDING
When we examine you, we take a high-definition video of your entire exam. This allows you to view your vocal cords and understand your condition better. It also helps to compare your videos during follow ups, to ensure the treatments are working.
STROBOSCOPY
Stroboscopy or straight light? Both types of light let you see the vocal cords but only stroboscopy works to ensure vocal fold vibration is seen. Stroboscopy tests the function of the vocal cords , not just what they look like. A straight light (used by ENTs) cannot detect vocal fold vibration and so it cannot determines the cause of voice issues.
EXPERT INTERPRETATION
Data are only valuable if accurately interpreted . Dr. Gupta has been treating voice disorders for over a decade, connecting the patient’s story to their sound to the stroboscopy . It is her passion and her focus. When seeing second opinions, Dr. Gupta has found numerous errors from misinterpretation of exams, even when stroboscopy is performed. This can result in unnecessary surgery or missed diagnoses.
WHAT IS A PROPER VOICE EXAM?
OLDER TECHNOLOGY
It is not acceptable to have an ENT pass a scope through your nose, view it with their eye only, commit it to memory, and describe what they saw to you.
These types of vague, inadequate exams result in patient disempowerment and poor outcomes.
CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY
Fiberoptic, standard definition or high-definition? All three technologies exist in the ENT space.
We use high-definition, rigid, stroboscopic cameras, the most current in digital imaging to view your vocal cords, ensuring no detail is missed.
Ready to talk about your voice?
Call the practice to arrange a consultation, or ask whether your consultation and evaluation is right for you.