What are the risk for tracheal shave surgery to reduce Adams apple?

Thanks for you question.Tracheal shave is usually a safe procedure in the right hands for the right indications.Best wishes,Dr sajjadian

Complications following a tracheal shave procedure are relatively rare.  I place my incision under the chin (instead of over the Adam's apple) for a more inconspicuous scar, so scarring is a potential risk.  Another risk is injury to the airway if your surgeon takes too much tissue (rare, especially if performed by a board certified facial plastic surgeon familiar with the anatomy of the larynx).  Lastly, there is a rare risk of vocal pitch lowering resulting from destabilization of the vocal cords from taking too much cartilage where they insert on the cartilage framework.  As a facial plastic surgeon who spent years of training operating on the vocal cords, I minimize this risk by directly visualizing the vocal cords with a camera during the procedure and only removing cartilage above the insertion point.  

The potential risks are significant (like for most surgeries) and include voice change and airway swelling.  But the practical risks for the average patient is quite small (like for most surgeries) and include a poorly healed scar and the possibility that not as much of the adam's apple is removed as you would like.  If you see an experienced surgeon who performs the procedure while directly observing the vocal cords your chance of dramatic adam's apple reduction without any complications is excellent.  Bryan Rolfes, MD

Hi, 
Risks with tracheal shave are fairly low, but injury to the vocal chords or infection are a possibility. However, finding a surgeon that has performed this before will help lessen that possibility. 
Best wishes,
Dr. Blagg
Austin, TX

Tracheal shad should be always done while observing directly the larynx and the vocal folds while removing the extra cartilage of the voice box. The patients stays in the hospital for observation overnight. The scar is hidden in a crease under the chin so it usually is not a problem

Tracheal shave has very minor risks in experienced hands. I have done this operation on hundreds of patients over 35 years without infection, bleeding, voice or airway problems. Some patients may get a slightly thicker scar but this is very uncommon in the neck in my experience.

The main risk of reducing the size of the Adam's Apple is damage to the vocal cords. The vocal cords generally attach to the cartilage that forms the Adam's Apple about halfway up, but it can be higher. I use a technique where a visualize the vocal cords with a camera in order to precisely identify where the attachment is an prevent any damage. Other than that, as with any surgery, there are risks of infection scarring, fluid accumulation in the area, and bruising/swelling. The incision is about 1-2cm in length and sits in a crease under your chin, so it's virtually invisible after it fully heals. 
Best of luck to you,
Sarah Saxon, MD

Hello MaryQA,
Although complications are rare, there are typical complication risks associated to any surgery including the potential injury to the trachea and the surrounding - that includes the vocal cords which can affect the voice. I always make sure my patients are aware of all the risks before surgery. 

The risks are small, but like in any surgery, it must be performed skillfully. One could interfere with vocal cord function or possibly damage a nearby nerve but if your surgeon is experienced this risk should be rare.

The risks for tracheal shave include1: scar 2: swelling3: difficulty swallowing, due to swelling4: Changes in voice.5: difficulty breathing