A Patient Regains His Voice and Confidence After Undergoing Surgery and Rehabilitation

Hassan Al Hammadi began experiencing sudden changes to his voice that were impacting his work and quality of life.

Hassan Al Hammadi, an engineer from Dubai, began experiencing changes to his voice that were impacting his work and quality of life.

He recalls, “My voice changed quite suddenly, and it was difficult to control. It sounded like I had a sore throat all the time. This interfered with my work as I deliver speeches and make presentations as part of my job.”

Following an endoscopic exam, Hassan was diagnosed with a large polyp on his right vocal fold. The vocal folds (vocal cords) are two bands of tissue located in the throat – the sound of your voice is produced when air from the lungs passes through them.

An extremely delicate and precise surgical procedure was carried out to remove the polyp causing Hassan’s voice issues, and was followed by specialized speech and language rehabilitation therapy.

Director of the Voice Clinic at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Anastasios Hantzakos, says, “We have developed a comprehensive approach to tackling voice disorders, which first removes the problem surgically, while providing follow-up with the surgeon and a specialized speech and language pathologist. This is essential for proper voice rehabilitation.”

Explaining how the treatment has changed his quality of life for the better, Hassan says, “I work for the UAE

Military, have a very active sports life and, as a jet ski marshal, I give instructions through a megaphone during races, so I need a strong voice. The therapy not only helped my voice, it also changed my whole approach to life and I will be forever grateful.”