Phonotraumatic Vocal Fold Lesions Webinar Review by AVA Scholarship Students

Last month we were grateful to host a very informative and practical session on benign vocal fold lesions, featuring speakers Dr Anna White (Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust), Dr Anthony Rotman (Monash Health; Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre), and Dr Nicole Free (The Royal Melbourne Hospital; Australian Catholic University). This webinar "Phonotraumatic Vocal Fold Lesions: Basic Principles and Contemporary Multidisciplinary Management" was very successful and greatly attended.

Two Speech Pathology students were donated tickets to attend the webinar as part of their ongoing academic development. In return, they provided reviews of the event and their thoughts on the presentation and their takeaways.

We are grateful to the presenters of this webinar, and look forward to hosting more informative sessions in the future.

A recording of the webinar will be made available to AVA members as a second-chance webinar at a later date.

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Review from Inez Ang

I am very grateful to be given this learning experience. I thoroughly enjoyed attending the webinar on phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. It was incredibly eye-opening to be able to hear from both ENT surgeon’s and speech pathologists’ perspectives, providing me with deep insight into the complexities of vocal fold lesions and the importance of multidisciplinary care. As an undergraduate student who recently underwent a placement at a voice clinic, it helped me to link expert insights to my own clinical experiences.

It was fascinating to see pre-, post, and intra-operative images, particularly the videos of lesion removal surgery. I learnt about the different surgical treatments available, such as steroid injections and use of lasers. Additionally, the clear examples of various pathologies, such as different lesion types, highlighted the importance of recognising multiple pathologies, which will help guide my learning of diagnosis and treatment planning regarding voice disorders. My prior exposure to surgical treatments was limited, and hence this was extremely insightful for my understanding of surgical management of vocal fold lesions.

The discussion regarding risk factors for phonotraumatic lesions deepened my understanding. It was interesting how hormonal differences, certain medications and supplements could increase the risk for phonotraumatic lesions or hemorrhage. I also learnt about the functional impact of these lesions, such as reduced pitch range, particularly in the upper range, and how these findings can help guide client education and goal setting. Additionally, I was surprised to hear that voice features improved after short periods of increased vocal load for some participants, suggesting recommendations of conservative voice use should be individualised based on each person’s vocal function. Another key takeaway was the importance of using a range of assessments, including both static and dynamic assessments to track progress. These learnings are highly relevant to my upcoming Honours project, which explore current practices and recommendations in vocal hygiene and care. I am excited to apply this knowledge to my Honours research and continue developing my understanding of evidence-based voice therapy.

Overall, this webinar significantly expanded my knowledge of phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions, including their assessment, treatment and recovery. I feel fortunate to have had this exposure to such an interesting topic whilst still a student. The research insights inspired me to provide holistic, individualised and evidence-based care in my future clinical practice. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity!

Inez Ang a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Hons) student at Flinders University, South Australia.

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Review from Leticia Bayliss

I am very grateful for the opportunity to have attended this webinar and thank the Australian Voice Association again for this scholarship. As a third-year speech pathology student, the information presented was an excellent opportunity for professional development and I look forward to applying my learnings to class work and caseloads. I loved hearing about Dr Nicole Free’s findings, particularly enjoying the information about targeted voice exercises and what the literature says about the effectiveness of these exercises. I thoroughly enjoyed Dr Anthony Rotman’s perspective as a surgeon, and found that the photos, videos and explanations of these injuries added a fascinating level of depth to this presentation and helped me visualise what could be happening for a patient. I have rewatched elements of this presentation and continue to find myself feeling amazed and fascinated by these detailed videos of vocal fold lesions and surgeries. I also enjoyed Dr Anna White’s presentation and found the findings and details of her research to be very interesting and informative. Each presenter was incredibly engaging and provided an intriguing perspective that contributed to deepening my understanding of phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. Thank you very much for this opportunity.

Leticia Bayliss is a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Hons) student at Australian Catholic University, Victoria.