Sinus, Voice & Speech Disorders

Since 1998, the University of Miami School of Medicine Center for Sinus and Voice Disorders has been a unique resource for patients experiencing persistent upper respiratory tract problems.

The Center is designed to accommodate the specific needs of patients with nasal, sinus and voice complaints through coordinated, state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment methods. The multidisciplinary team of otolaryngologists, neurologists, allergists, psychologists and speech pathologists work closely to provide patients with comprehensive treatment and cutting edge technology.

Our busy voice laboratory offers comprehensive voice evaluations to patients from south Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. By using the latest technology, our specialists can study the vocal folds in slow motion and measure important acoustical properties as well as aerodynamic measures of the voice.

Voice and Speech Disorders
The Voice and Speech Disorders Laboratory provides a full array of services to meet the needs of individuals experiencing voice difficulties. Several theatrical personalities are among the patients who have taken tests at the voice lab, helping to diagnose and treat a variety of vocal problems such as hoarseness, spasms and paralysis.

Botulinum Toxin Injection Program
Patients with spasmodic dysphonia, a spastic speech condition, generally show remarkable improvement following injections of botulinum toxin into their vocal cords. One of the only such programs in Florida, it includes a regular support group for victims of this disorder. Treatment is also available for individuals with voice tremor and other movement disorders.

Thyroplastic Surgery
Using a technique developed in Japan, surgeons at the Ear Institute can repair the cartilage that makes up the framework of the voice box. A paralyzed vocal cord can be moved closer to the movable cord, immediately strengthening the patient's voice.

Vocal Fold Lesions
An advanced phonosurgery program, (surgery to alter/improve the voice), focuses on thyroplasty for treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis and other techniques for removal of benign and very early malignant vocal fold lesions. We also have served as an on-site training center for other otolaryngology/speech pathology teams from around the state and South America.

Sinus Problems & Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
The department has become a leader in expanding the use of endoscopic sinus surgery to treat difficult and complicated sinus, orbital and skull base problems. Endoscopic sinus surgery has gained wide acceptance. To perform the procedure a surgeon uses an endoscope and a laser. These tools minimize trauma to the tissue and yield better results than those procedures performed with traditional surgical methods. The endoscopic technique allows surgeons to clear the sinus passages at the narrow areas where mucous drains into the nose, which is where most blockage problems occur.