Kathy Griffin tells how she hears her voice for the first time a week after surgery

Kathy Griffin gives an exciting new update after her vocal cord surgery.

On Tuesday, June 18, the 63-year-old comedian shared a new update on her recent vocal cord surgery in a video on TikTok.

Throughout the video, Griffin is seen at her follow-up exam as the doctor uses a camera to examine her vocal cords following surgery on June 12. As the exam continued, Griffin was given permission to speak for the first time since the procedure.

“When you’re ready, give it to me,” the doctor tells Griffin.

Then she makes an indefinable noise before the doctor answers: “Beautiful! Would you like to say something?”

“Hello, how are you? I can’t speak any louder right now, but I’m grateful to have so much voice,” Griffin says when the doctor asks her to speak louder.

“Hello everyone! I have so much voice now. I’m getting better,” she calls as best she can.

“It’s still a little scratchy, but that will get better with time,” the doctor adds. She then accompanies Griffin through the surgical examination and reports that her wound healing is going well, noting that there will be “ups and downs.” But the Emmy winner is overjoyed with the current progress.

The comedian adds: “This is like porn to me. To see it work after years of not working, and now it finally works.”

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“It’s been a week since my surgery and I’m very happy to say the least. I’m following all the doctor’s orders and keeping quiet (even though I’m a chatty Kathy). Now it’s time to recover for my fall shows ❤️,” Griffin captioned the TikTok video.

On Wednesday, June 12, she shared a photo on Instagram showing the gauze bandage on her neck covering the area where the surgery was performed.

“The vocal cord surgery went well. 🙏 As you can see, there is some scarring and swelling. It will be worth it if I get some of my voice back. 🙏🙏🙏,” Griffin captioned the post.

One day before her surgery, she explained in a video on Instagram what the upcoming operation would entail. “I am getting an implant in my left vocal cord, which was permanently paralyzed during my lung cancer surgery where half of my left lung was removed,” the actress explained.

“I also have an aperture, which is a tear above my vocal cords, and that’s why my voice sometimes gets higher when I do stand-up,” she continued.

“I’m never nervous before any surgery, although I’ve had a few. But I’m a little nervous about this one because it involves my voice and I’ve been through the voice problem before,” Griffin added.

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Griffin had surgery on her left vocal cord in May 2023. Speaking to PEOPLE in June 2023, she revealed that the procedure on her vocal cord – which had been damaged during lung cancer treatment nearly two years earlier – was “really intense.”