Wondering if anyone has experience of this and has recovered?I had a right upper lobectomy by VATS for an adenocarcinoma and large lymph nodes, one of which was clung to my trachea and had to be dissected off. The 'recurrent laryngeal nerve ' runs close by and serves the vocal chords.
On waking up from surgery in Sept 2024 I had little voice and 5 months later the same. Saw an ENT consultant who diagnosed vocal chord paralysis on the right side due to nerve damage.
I'm getting a bit down about it now and it's impact on my life (I do appreciate being alive though!). Having private vocal therapy to try and help but waiting for fillers treatment appointment with no idea how long the waiting will be.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Peter
Written by
Rezillo
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Sorry to hear about your lung cancer and vocal chord paralysis , it is understandable that this is getting you down. It can affect a very small percentage of people and it can take quite a few months to recover, but with speech therapy there can be some improvement. Your speech therapist and ENT doctor will be able to advise on this.
I hope you hear from others who may have experienced the same, it can feel quite isolating, not just having cancer but if your speech is affected in anyway or communicating with others and the effort and energy that may take.
I am unsure how fully your vocal chords are affected, but if you feel able to participate, we offer online support groups through zoom, you can view and register for these through this link: roycastle.org/help-and-supp... alternatively you can email our support coordinator Ellen Knapp at ellen.knapp@roycastle.org
You may wish to connect with others and find support from this website who specialise in people who have voice problems: lary.org.uk/
If you would like to discuss anything you can email our ask the nurse service at lungcancerhelp@roycastle.org or if you can manage to chat, you can call us on 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600
I hope you have recovered well from your surgery and continue to improve with your vocal therapist.
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Had upper right lobectomy and node removal in July 2013
Monitoring post lobectomy
Pain following Lobectomy 
Post lobectomy hernia
