Cut/removed vocal cords

i’m writing a slasher and the killer is a twisted freak, & i was wondering if vocal cords were to be removed could a person live a normal life, such as eating + swallowing & breathing, without any extra assistance (like breathing tubes), aside from being mute? & could the victim still speak/whisper/make noises at all? & can vocal cords be cut, if so, could said victim be able to live w/o extra assistance?

 

Hi - I see you're a new member here. I'm one of the forum moderators, and I'd like to welcome you to the forum.

However, in my opinion, this is the kind of question where Google is your best friend. It's medical advice you need for your research, not advice from fellow writers. These days, this kind of information is quite easy to access online.

I'd suggest you start here: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&channel=trow&q=vocal+cord+removal

Or, if that link doesn't work for you, try googling 'vocal cord removal.'

 

i googled a ton before i came here, i thought that maybe this site could help, but i suppose not

 

Somebody might, if we have a doctor on the forum, or somebody who has experienced the removal of vocal cords, either personally or with somebody they know. The information you're looking for seems to be pretty general—basically how does somebody function without vocal cords. That kind of information can certainly be googled.

For example: this from the American Cancer Society website, which is the first response to come up on my previous link. I'm sure you can find more specific information as you move down the page, or refine your google search a bit:

And this from the Sloan-Kettering Institute:

Is there some particular aspect of this situation you're looking to find? Are you thinking of writing a character who has experienced this? Are you hoping for some personal insight into this situation so you can write from their perspective?

 

There was a horror movie, where the killers would sedate people,
cut their vocal cords, then bury them up to their necks, fatten them
up, and then turn them into burgers and such.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_Hell

So if you can sacrifice a touch of realism, I think you should be fine
since I doubt the average reader will bother fact checking to see
if you are fudging that bit just a tad.
The voice box does not affect or is apart of the respiratory system,
so you should be alright, as long as the one doing the cutting works
fairly quickly, and seals up the esophagus so that the person can still
breath once the 'operation' is completed.

 

I'm not sure if this quite covers what you are looking for. I worked with some people who had difficulty swallowing and were on a minced diet. I don't know the specifics but their throat muscles were weak from the after effects of a stroke. I'm not sure if it contributed to the difficulty swallowing but one individual was non-verbal.

 

No vocal cords, no speaking. Think of it this way: If you blow through a flute, without using your fingers to cover some holes, it will produce a sound, but very airy, meaning low volume and monotonous. Even if they scream their lungs out, they won't be able to produce a loud sound. By using their tongues they will be able to produce some weird sounds but not clean enough. All will be in veeeery low volume.