Neck Profile
Adam's Apple Surgery
At YOUNIFY Clinic, a Healthy Aging & Wellness Center based in Bangkok, Thailand, the surgical team reduces that projection through a short incision placed in a natural neck crease, or in the opposite direction, builds projection where a patient wants a more defined neck line.
Care you can measure
Figures from the YOUNIFY surgical programme.
01 — The limit
Why the limit exists, and why we hold to it
This is the part of the procedure worth asking any surgeon about, at any clinic, before you book.
Inside the thyroid cartilage, at the midline, the vocal cords attach to the back of its front wall at a point called the anterior commissure. It sits higher on the cartilage than most patients assume, and it is the reason this operation has a ceiling.
Removing cartilage above the level of that attachment risks the attachment itself, and with it the voice. Removing cartilage below it does not. A surgeon who removes more than the anatomy allows can produce a flatter neck and a permanently altered voice at the same time, and the second cannot be reversed by revising the first. The technique used here is built around finding that level before any cartilage is removed, rather than estimating it. Where a patient's anatomy places the commissure high, the achievable reduction is smaller than they hoped, and the surgical team will say so at the consultation rather than after the operation.
Assessment describes what your anatomy allows. It is not a guaranteed outcome.
What the Adam's apple actually is
The thyroid cartilage is a shield of cartilage that sits at the front of the larynx. Its two halves meet at the midline, and the angle at which they meet is what decides how far forward the front edge sits. That angle is narrower on average in male anatomy, which is why the projection is more often visible.
The surgeon reduces the forward projection of the thyroid cartilage so that the front of the neck reads as a smooth line rather than a point. Access is through a short horizontal incision placed in an existing crease of the neck, so the scar sits along a line the skin already makes.
The name "tracheal shave" is in common use, and patients search for it, but it is anatomically loose. The trachea is not touched. The procedure works on the thyroid cartilage above it.
Augmentation is less commonly requested, and is part of facial masculinization rather than feminization. Projection is built up at the midline, generally using cartilage taken from elsewhere in the patient. It is a more complex operation than reduction, and it is planned case by case.
Reduction vs augmentation
Two operations exist, in opposite directions. Most patients come for the first.
| Reduction (chondrolaryngoplasty) | Augmentation | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Reduces the forward projection of the thyroid cartilage | Builds midline projection at the thyroid cartilage |
| Who asks for it | Most often transfeminine patients, and cisgender men and women with a naturally prominent cartilage | Transmasculine patients seeking a more defined neck line |
| Material | None. Cartilage is removed | Generally cartilage taken from elsewhere in the patient |
| Access | A short horizontal incision in an existing neck crease | Planned case by case |
| Complexity | About one hour, day case for most patients | A more complex operation than reduction |
Your planning options
Who this is for
- Transgender women and transfeminine people for whom the neck profile is a source of daily discomfort, whether or not they are pursuing any other facial surgery
- Non-binary people who want the neck line softened without other changes
- Cisgender men and women with a naturally prominent thyroid cartilage
- Transgender men and transmasculine people seeking augmentation for a more defined neck line
02 — Technique
How the plan is made
Assessment, the position of the scar, and whether the procedure is combined with anything else.
Assessment
The surgeon examines the neck with the head in neutral position and in extension, and in profile, since the projection reads differently in each.
What it means for you: The achievable reduction is established before surgery rather than discovered during it.
When it applies: Where the patient also has voice concerns, or has had previous neck or thyroid surgery, an ear, nose, and throat assessment is arranged before a plan is confirmed.
Where the scar goes
The incision is short and horizontal, placed within an existing neck crease so that it heals along a line the skin already makes.
What it means for you: The scar follows a line the skin already makes, rather than crossing it.
When it applies: Where a patient has no clear crease, the surgeon marks a position higher in the neck rather than directly over the cartilage, because a scar sitting directly on the prominence is the one most likely to be noticed.
04 · Your team
Performed by board-certified plastic surgeons
Your procedure is performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon in a licensed operating room. Which surgeon performs which part of your plan is confirmed with you in writing after your assessment, before any deposit is taken.
Dr. Thanachot Kamolveerat
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Diploma of the Thai Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
View full profile →05 · Safety
Operating room standards and monitoring
Surgery is performed in a licensed operating facility with anaesthesia care and continuous monitoring throughout.
Licensed operating facility
Procedures are performed in a registered operating room, not a treatment room.
Specialist anaesthesia care
Anaesthesia is administered and monitored by a qualified anaesthesiologist for the duration of surgery.
Continuous monitoring
Vital signs are monitored continuously during the procedure and through initial recovery.
Sterile instrument protocol
Instruments and implants are handled under a documented sterile protocol.
The treatment process
First contact
Photographs taken in profile and three-quarter view with the chin in neutral position.
Video consultation
The surgeon explains what the projection is made of in your case and what reduction is achievable.
Written quotation
Covering the procedure, anesthetic, operating room, and follow-up, before any deposit.
Day of surgery
Around one hour. Most patients go home the same day.
Review at one week
Suture care and a check of the wound.
Follow-up
Remotely thereafter, at intervals agreed with your surgeon.
What recovery looks like
Your surgery at YOUNIFY
From the surgeon who operates to the nurses who follow up, and a private suite to recover in.
Your written quotation
Your final quote follows an individual medical assessment. You receive a written quotation before any deposit.
Common questions
Will Adam's apple surgery change my voice?
The operation works on cartilage, not on the vocal cords, and the technique is built around protecting the point where the cords attach to the inside of that cartilage. Temporary hoarseness in the first days is common and settles. Permanent voice change is uncommon, and how much cartilage can safely be removed in your case is decided by where that attachment sits in your anatomy.
Is a tracheal shave the same as chondrolaryngoplasty?
They describe the same operation. Chondrolaryngoplasty is the anatomically accurate term. "Tracheal shave" is the common name, although the trachea itself is not involved.
Will the scar be visible?
The incision is short and placed within a natural neck crease. It is most visible at around two to three months and fades thereafter. Scarring differs between individuals, and patients with a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring should raise it at consultation.
Can this be done on its own, without other facial surgery?
Yes. Many patients have this procedure alone, as a day case.
How long before I can fly?
Your surgeon will confirm this at your review, based on your recovery. It is a shorter recovery than most facial bone procedures.
Can the Adam's apple be made larger rather than smaller?
Yes, as part of facial masculinization. Projection is built at the midline, generally with the patient's own cartilage. It is a more involved procedure than reduction and is planned individually.
Will it be completely flat afterward?
No, and it should not be. Some thyroid cartilage must remain to protect the larynx and the vocal cord attachment. The aim is a neck that reads as a smooth line in profile, not the removal of the structure.
What does it cost?
This page does not list a price because the plan differs by patient and by whether the procedure is combined with others. You receive a written quotation after your consultation, before any deposit is taken.
* This information is for general education. Results and treatment plans depend on an individual medical assessment. Every procedure carries risk. Please consult a doctor before deciding.
Related procedures
Considering Adam's apple surgery?
Send a photograph taken in profile and we will tell you what reduction your anatomy allows. Consultations are by video before you travel.
Reviewed by The YOUNIFY Clinic medical team · Last reviewed
Individual results may vary. Please consult a doctor before treatment.