Sean Parker Institute for the Voice

Your voice is unique and essential to a vibrant and fulfilling personal and professional life. Unfortunately, despite voice and swallowing disorders affecting more than 20 million people in the U.S., it can be challenging to find specialized care.

Voice disorders include any problem with the pitch, volume or tone of your voice. These problems occur when your vocal cords don't vibrate as they should. If your vocal cords become inflamed, develop growths or become paralyzed, they can’t work properly and you may develop a voice or swallowing disorder.

The Weill Cornell Medicine Ear, Nose and Throat Department includes the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice. This Institute provides nationally recognized care for voice and swallowing disorders, including for patients who are performers and professional speakers.

In addition to helping patients achieve vocal health, the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice is one of the preeminent groups advancing medical understanding of voice and swallowing disorders, as well as establishing national standards for care.

Why Choose Weill Cornell Medicine for Voice Disorder Treatment?

Personalized care founded on cutting-edge research: Our team works closely with each patient to understand your specific condition, lifestyle and goals for your vocal health. One of our highly trained physicians will then examine your throat carefully to understand your anatomy and specific disorder.

Using the latest research, our team then develops a personalized treatment plan to help you achieve your long-term goals and optimum health.

Multidisciplinary care from leading experts: When you choose Weill Cornell Medicine, you have access to a network of doctors and specialists. Weill Cornell Medicine partners with NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the top hospital systems in New York City and the U.S.

As a patient, you will be seen by our compassionate team of experts, consisting of a laryngologist (an otolaryngologist with specialty training in laryngology) and a speech/language pathologist. They will determine the cause of your voice disorder and develop a personalized treatment plan, which may include therapy, medication or surgical intervention.

Speech language pathologists with expertise in speech, voice and swallowing disorders and in voice rehabilitation after larynx cancer surgery are available for therapy and long-term support.

Conditions We Treat

Our physicians are leaders in the field of ear, nose, and throat medicine, providing both non-surgical and surgical treatment of voice and swallowing disorders, including:

●      Laryngitis
●      Non-cancerous and cancerous growths on the vocal cords
●      Papilloma (non-cancerous lumps in throat)
●      Vocal cord paralysis or weakness
●      Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
●      Throat (laryngeal) cancer
●      Neurological voice disorders

Voice and swallowing disorder treatment options at Weill Cornell Medicine: Our board-certified surgeons are skilled in state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment procedures for voice and swallowing disorders, such as:

●      Behavioral treatments, including voice rest or vocal exercises
●      Medications, including antibiotics, steroids or mucus medications
●      Injections to the vocal cord, including botulinum toxin
●      Laryngeal framework surgery
●      Microscopic laryngeal surgery
●      Other specialized head and neck surgery therapies 

Make an Appointment

Whether you visit us virtually through a video visit or you see us in person, we will never stop providing the highest standards of care with compassion. You can rest assured that we have taken every step to keep our facilities and locations safe. Learn more about our safety measures and the changes we’ve made to enhance your patient experience.

Meet Our Physicians

The physicians at theWeill Cornell Medicine Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery offer patients the highest level of safety and care. As a top-ranked academic medical center, you have access to our extensive network of specialists who provide seamless care throughout your treatment — to promote long-term physical and mental health.