Kathy Griffin gives first update on her voice after major vocal cord surgery

Following her vocal cord surgery, Kathy Griffin recently shared a positive update on her social media. On June 18, the comedian posted a video to update her fans on the improvement in her health. The video shows Griffin undergoing a post-operative exam, where a doctor used an endoscopic camera to examine her vocal cords after the surgery on June 12. During the exam, doctors allowed Griffin to speak for the first time since the procedure.

Griffin also previously made an Instagram video describing what would happen during the procedure. Her left vocal cord was permanently paralyzed from lung cancer surgery that removed half of her left lung.

Kathy Griffin lets fans hear her for the first time after vocal cord surgery

In the video posted by the 63-year-old comedian, Kathy Griffin expressed her gratitude for having regained some of her voice, even though it was very deep.

Despite these difficulties, she was able to speak louder when her doctor encouraged her to do so. Griffin mentioned that although her voice was hoarse, there was hope that her voice would improve over time.

The doctor confirmed that he was happy with her healing progress, but warned that there would be fluctuations in her recovery. Her joy at having her vocal cords working again after years of not working was immense, and it was evident on her face.

Kathy Griffin captioned the video in which you can hear her voice for the first time after the operation:

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

Kathy Griffin suffered vocal cord damage due to lung cancer two years ago

In a previous post on Instagram, the comedian had told her followers that she was getting an implant in her left vocal cord, which was permanently paralyzed following her lung cancer surgery. She also mentioned that she had a tear above her vocal cords, which caused her voice to be higher than usual during stand-up shows.

According to People, despite having undergone several surgeries in the past, including one on her left vocal cord in May 2023, Kathy Griffin was afraid of the consequences for her voice, fearing it could affect her career.

She told the outlet, “Because my left spinal cord is paralyzed, they inject me with this thing called Prolaryn Plus, which is like collagen.” However, the last surgery seems to have gone well and Griffin has regained her voice. She shared her gratitude online.