Emory Healthcare 
At Emory Voice Center, we provide a range of treatments and services for voice, swallowing, and upper airway disorders and conditions. Our center offers evaluation, treatment and related services all in one convenient location. We are also seeing patients at off-site locations for therapeutic intervention.
Our multidisciplinary team of medical assistants, nurses, speech-language pathologists and laryngologists will review your symptoms, medical history and examine your head and neck. We will comprehensively test and analyze your vocal quality and efficiency with your vocal requirements in mind.
Behavioral cough suppression therapy is a treatment conducted by an upper-airway specialized speech-language pathologist. It helps patients with chronic cough identify cough triggers and works to improve patients' ability to suppress a cough and eventually leads to a reduction in the urge to cough sensation. Some studies have shown that cough suppression therapy is as or even more effective than cough medications.
Laryngeal videostroboscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses an endoscope (a small tube equipped with a fiber optic camera.) with a stroboscopic light source so that a slow-motion video of your vocal cord vibration can be captured for analysis. This tube may be inserted in your mouth (similar to a toothbrush) or a flexible, much smaller version, may be passed through your nose with topical pain reliever. This allows your treating professionals to determine the nature of your voice problem and how it can be addressed. Most examinations take less than 2 minutes to complete and gather a wellspring of information to help address your difficulties.
Voice therapy is an effective way to address many voice disorders. To that end, Emory Voice Center employs a team of specialized voice therapists dedicated to optimizing a patient's voice. In many cases, voice therapy is the primary treatment used to address a patient's concern.
The FEES is an in-office swallowing procedure which allows a speech-language pathologist to evaluate and analyze the function of your swallow. A flexible endoscope, or small and flexible tube, will be inserted into your nasal passageway for a tolerable vantage point of the swallow. A video is recorded to capture your anatomical and physiological function for swallowing. While the camera is in place, you may be given a variety of food and liquids to eat and drink. You may also bring in foods and liquids that you routinely eat and drink for a more realistic look at your swallow. Most examinations take between 4 and 10 minutes.
An MBSS is completed in the radiology department at Emory University Hospital Midtown and in the Decatur Imaging at Emory Decatur Hospital. With use of fluoroscopy (X-ray) technology, a high-definition, real-time video is taken to analyze your swallow function by minimally invasive means. You will be given foods and liquids of various consistencies coated with barium. Barium is a naturally occurring mineral which shows up on X-ray and allows the speech-language pathologist to analyze your swallow function. Most assessments are between 4 and 7 minutes in length.
HRPM is sometimes performed concurrently with an MBSS if there is concern for weakness in your throat during swallow, or if there is a constriction of your upper esophageal sphincter (UES) which is the doorway to your esophagus from your throat. It is performed in our endoscopy suite with a speech-language pathologist and registered nurse. A small pressure catheter is passed through the nasal passageway then swallowed to monitor for muscular activity during the swallow. You will be given several consistencies made up of barium, a naturally occurring mineral which shows up on X-ray and allows the speech-language pathologist to analyze your swallow function. Most assessments are between 4 and 7 minutes in length.
A physician examines the vocal folds of the larynx with magnification tools. We conduct this procedure under general anesthesia.
This procedure measures the electrical activity of the laryngeal muscles. It can be used for several purposes, including prediction of recovery in patients with vocal fold paralysis.
Botox offers one of the most effective treatments for laryngeal dysphonia. The drug weakens vocal muscles, diminishing spasms and tremors.
A minimally invasive procedure that removes vocal fold nodules, polyps, or cysts. Performed in the operating room under general anesthesia.
Injection medialization laryngoplasty involves injecting a temporary filler into one or both vocal folds to provide support to a vocal fold that lacks either the bulk (such as in vocal fold bowing) or the mobility (such as in paralysis or paresis). It is used to try and correct a problem that prevents full closure of the vocal folds. This procedure can be performed in the awake setting with topical anesthesia or in the operating room under general anesthesia.
Laryngeal framework surgery is performed to reposition a paralyzed vocal fold or to bulk up thinning vocal folds to a position that is better for voicing. The most common of these procedures is known as a medialization laryngoplasty. This usually involves placement of a synthetic implant to reposition and support a vocal fold.
Certain airway stenosis patients may be candidates for open-airway surgery and reconstruction. Our physicians know when and how to intervene.
Specialized speech pathologists provide evaluation, counseling, and therapy services to patients with difficulty swallowing. Appointments can be in person or via telehealth.
Exercise programs can reduce the negative side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. They promote improved swallow to enhance the quality of life during and after treatment.
We can address many difficulties with the narrowing of the upper airway through the mouth without external incisions. We perform many of these endoscopic interventions on an outpatient basis. This reduces disruption to your life.
In some situations, we perform transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) in our clinic. TNE helps check for difficulties in swallowing. Adding sedation can comfort you while we perform diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
We are the only facility within a 150-mile radius that offers this innovative option for treatment of vocal fold lesions. Patients can receive this treatment in the office without sedation.