KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Profile of Injured Singers: Expectations and Insights

Singers have a disproportionally high prevalence of self-reported dysphonia compared to the general population, and phonotraumatic lesions are significantly more prevalent in performers versus nonperformers. The pervasive stigma of vocal injury amongst singers and the substantial misinformation about vocal injury in the singer community underscore the need for objective data for counseling and prognosis. This presentation will summarize the findings from a recently completed large-scale study of over 400 singers with phonotraumatic lesions seen over a decade at the UT Southwestern Voice Center. The study revealed interesting facts about the likelihood of female versus male singers developing different types of lesions (nodules, polyps, pseudocysts, cysts) and what those differences might mean for the pathogenesis of these lesions. The study also showed an association of formal voice training and professional singer status with the likelihood of undergoing vocal fold surgery. The impact of singing genre on the development of various lesion types will be discussed. Finally, the study showed that the duration of voice therapy to achieve improvement is limited for the injured singer. These findings provide a framework for counseling and managing expectations in this unique population.

Panel - Breaking Habits: How We Undo Tendencies and Habits in our Students and Patients

Financial Disclosure: Dr. Childs is receiving an honorarium from NW Voice for presenting. She has no other financial relationships to disclose.

Non-Financial Disclosure: Dr. Childs has no non-financial relationships to disclose.

NORTHWEST VOICE

Lesley Childs, MD

Lesley French Childs, MD serves as Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and is a Laryngologist as well as the Medical Director of the Clinical Center for Voice Care at UT Southwestern. She grew up in Austin, Texas and received her undergraduate degree from Yale University. Dr. Childs completed medical school and her residency training at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She finished a fellowship in Laryngology and Neurolaryngology at Columbia and Cornell Universities in New York City. A classically trained soprano, Dr. Childs has experience singing in various professional chamber ensembles as well as recording for Walt Disney Records.