Voice
Voice Assessment
Assessment of the voice requires a combination of subjective and objective measurements.
Subjective listening from a trained professional can provide very useful information and this is provided by Dr Theo as well as a team of speech pathologists and clinical voice consultants with extensive experience in voice care.
Objective assessment with acoustic analysis of voice parameters as well as visualisation of the larynx (voice box) and vocal folds is also critical.
Dr Theo has HD (high definition) video analysis equipment as well the first HD videostroboscopy system in Adelaide. This enables him to obtain the best possible view of the larynx possible and often leads to diagnosis which may be missed with the older fibre optic scopes. Most voice box surgery should not be performed without prior stroboscopy.
Voice Strengthening - Voice Lift
Like other tissues in the body, as the larynx ages it can become weaker. It is possible to strengthen this with specialised exercises tailored to each patients voice box, however, there is also an adjunctive new method of treatment offered to some patients.
For those whose voice is important to their everyday function if it is starting to become weaker, then a simple injection into the vocal folds under local anaesthetic can make an immediate and dramatic improvement. This has been particularly helpful to public speakers and takes around 10 minutes.
Dr Theo offers this service either in the Adelaide city office or in a hospital operating room and is the first surgeon in Adelaide to be specially trained in this technique having performed hundreds of vocal fold injections both overseas and in Australia.
Surgery On The Voice Box
The voice box is one of the most delicate structures in the human body. There are a whole range of conditions which may require surgery. This can be performed delicately under general anaesthesia with microscopic guidance or comfortably under local anaesthesia with modern equipment.
Prior to any vocal fold surgery a formal assessment with HD videostroboscopy allows Dr Theo to individually plan and explain the steps and likely outcomes to each patient.
Dr Theo is the only fellowship trained sub specialist laryngologist (voice box) specialist in South Australia. He has extensive experience in all voice box surgery and uses the most modern techniques to provide world class outcomes.
Singing
Vocal commitments are part of everyday life and important for communication at work and home.
Professional and amateur singers and performers have particular demands and needs.
Dr Theo works closely with many singers and performers, understanding the physical and emotional stresses involved. Other groups which frequently benefit from his expertise include teachers, child care workers, sales people, lawyers, judges, nurses and groups where the voice is important to their everyday function.
As a subspecialist voice physician Dr Theo is happy to treat workcover conditions related to the voice and regularly assesses patients from South Australia and interstate.
Chronic Cough
Cough is one of the most common complaints for which patients seek treatment. When it persists for more than a few weeks it can be annoying, debilitating and even depressing. Dr Theo is involved with the international cough advisory board and works closely with respiratory physicians, gastroenterologists and allergists to achieve very high success rates for chronic cough.
We run a specialized cough clinic once a month for a complex chronic cough with treatment success exceeding 98%.
Laryngeal Cancer
Voice change which persists for more than several weeks warrants urgent review by an ENT specialist to exclude the possibility of voice box cancer. This is especially true for high risk patients such as smokers.
We use the latest HD (High Definition) equipment to visualise the voice box which means that very early lesions can be detected. Our specialists work as part of a Head and Neck cancer team and are uniquely able to biopsy and treat most voice box lesions and cancers under local anesthetic.
Swallow
The larynx (voice box) is one of the most intricate and finely controlled parts of the human body. A thorough assessment and voice or swallow analysis is available in our Adelaide city office with the latest HD video stroboscope.
We work closely with speech pathologists, singing teachers and voice physiotherapists to give our patients the best possible assessment & treatment.
Dr. Wood has subspecialty training in paediatric breathing and swallowing disorders. He works closely with paediatrician and speech pathologists including the complex airway clinics at Flinders and WCH.
