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Tracheal Shave Surgery for Gender Affirmation

Medically reviewed by Briana Smith on March 23, 2026.

Tracheal shave is the permanent, surgical reduction of the Adam’s Apple cartilage to reverse the effects of a first, testosterone-dominant puberty. The medical name for this surgery is a “Chondrolaryngoplasty.” It is most often pursued by trans feminine and non-binary patients. Since it is a relatively quick and inexpensive procedure, patients often elect to undergo it as a stand-alone surgery or alongside other facial feminization surgery (FFS) procedures.

Here, we discuss the tracheal shave cost, before and after results, scarring and more details about the procedure.

Why Patients Choose Tracheal Shave

For many trans feminine and non-binary patients, having a prominent Adam’s Apple is an unwanted cue of masculinity that causes feelings of gender dysphoria. The Adam’s Apple is a prominent bump of thyroid cartilage over the larynx (i.e., on the front of the neck), that usually grows more during a first, testosterone-dominant puberty.

Tracheal Shave Surgery (also known as the Adam’s apple reduction) is a permanent reduction of the trachea’s size. Given that the prominence of an Adam’s apple cannot be reduced by estrogen hormone replacement therapy (HRT), surgical intervention is the only way to reduce its size.

Chondrolaryngoplasty Explained: What is a Tracheal Shave?

If you are interested in undergoing a tracheal shave, you can request a free consultation with one of our board-certified facial surgeons today. Below we summarize the procedure: 

Procedure Overview

Under general anesthesia, your surgeon will make a minor incision on the neck. To make the scar more concealable, your surgeon can also make the minor incision under the jaw. Through the incision, your surgeon will scrape away or shave down your thyroid cartilage, avoiding any damage to the vocal cords. 

• • Anesthesia: This surgery is usually done under general anesthesia. 
  • Duration: The procedure can last anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, and is generally completed within an hour.
  • In-patient vs. outpatient procedure: Many FFS patients are sent home the same day as their surgery. However, depending on the length of your facial surgery and/or your medical history, you may need to spend a night in the hospital for close monitoring. In order to be discharged, you will need a support person to pick you up from the hospital or surgical center.
  • Recovery: The incision site will be covered for a week after surgery since it is connected to the airway. At your first post-operative appointment, 6-8 days after surgery, the bandage may come off at your. Incision and scar care will be introduced then.

Benefits of an Adam’s Apple Reduction

The tracheal shave is a medically-necessary gender affirming surgery for many trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming patients. As a result, its costs can often be covered by medical insurance. 

Trans women, transfeminine, and non-binary individuals who experience dysphoria in this area, are ideal candidates for this procedure. Several peer-reviewed studies have established that facial feminization procedures like the tracheal shave yield very high satisfaction rates for this patient population. 

There are many benefits to FFS for our patients who experience gender dysphoria around the Adam’s apple, and our trans-feminine and non-binary individuals report a greater connection to their sense of self, expression, and gender-congruence after the surgery.

The Tracheal Shave at the Gender Confirmation Center

Free Pre-Surical Consultation

During your free, pre-surgery consultation at the Gender Confirmation Center you can make a unique, surgical plan tailored to your goals. To make the most out of our time together, you will be asked to fill out our patient information and clinical history form and upload photos of your face onto our secure, virtual platform. We will discuss your goals, expectations, potential risks, and costs during this time so you can make the most informed decision about your gender-affirming surgery. 

Our Surgical Approach

Our surgeons carefully shave the thyroid cartilage down to minimize scarring, achieve the desired feminine contour and cause no damage to the vocal cords. Given our surgeons experience and continued education, their precision is of the utmost standard. 

Recovery at a Glance

Recovery for this procedure can involve longer medical supervision or a hospital stay. This is because of the proximity of the incision to the airways. You may also find soreness in the throat, which usually resolves after the first week. Similar to all scars, the full healing time is 12-18 months. However, patients should expect to see the redness around the scar fade away about 6 months after surgery.  

Please remember that post-operative care is an essential piece of your gender-affirming medical care. Our follow-up visits with you can help us troubleshoot any potential risks and ensure you are recovering smoothly.

Results: What Changes After a Tracheal Shave

Unlike most other facial surgery procedures, the results of a tracheal shave are almost immediately apparent. The majority of post-operative swelling subsides a week after surgery. 

During this time, you can apply ice for a maximum of 20-minute intervals per hour. Most tracheal shave patients who undergo a more extensive FFS procedure will ice the rest of their face and not their neck as swelling to the jaw and around the eyes can be a greater cause of discomfort.

Scar Care

After your first post-operative appointment, you can begin to practice scar massages and silicone therapy to reduce the visibility of your scar. You should protect your scars from UV rays for the first year after surgery, as they can take 12 months to fully mature. If you develop keloids or other scarring complications, you can refer to these treatment options.

Benefits of an Adam’s Apple Reduction

The tracheal shave is a medically-necessary gender affirming surgery for many trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming patients. As a result, its costs can often be covered by medical insurance.

Trans women, transfeminine, and non-binary individuals who experience dysphoria in this area, are ideal candidates for this procedure. Several peer-reviewed studies have established that facial feminization procedures like the tracheal shave yield very high satisfaction rates for this patient population. There are many benefits to FFS for our patients who experience gender dysphoria around the Adam’s apple, and our trans-feminine and non-binary individuals report a greater connection to their sense of self, expression, and gender-congruence after the surgery.

Combining a Tracheal Shave with Other Procedures

Often our patients wonder what other procedures they can undergo simultaneously with a tracheal shave. If an Adam’s Apple reduction is the only facial surgery procedure you wish to undergo, you may be able to undergo a simultaneous breast augmentation, body contouring or, on very rare occasions, potentially even a bottom surgery procedure. 

However, most patients undergo a tracheal shave as a part of a larger facial feminization surgery. However, when patients undergo facial feminization surgery with multiple procedures, a simultaneous bottom surgery or breast augmentation procedure is unlikely. This is because undergoing multiple types of gender-affirming surgery at once can be overwhelming for the body and make healing more difficult. 

Other facial procedures you can undergo simultaneously are: 

• Hairline advancement or lowering
• Brow bone reduction
• Eyebrow lift
• Cheek augmentation
• Rhinoplasty (nose reconstruction)
• Lip augmentation or lip lift
• Jaw and chin contouring

Potential Risks and Considerations

With any surgical procedure, there may be risks we would like you to consider. At the GCC, we work to minimize these risks by working with you to thoughtfully plan your surgery, recovery, and care. The potential risks of the Tracheal Shave Surgery, like any surgical procedure, are as follows: 

• Scarring complications: Some patients are predisposed to hypertrophic or keloid scarring. You can read more about our scar care protocol and treatment for scarring complications here.
• Vocal and respiratory complications: Undergoing a tracheal shave with an experienced, board-certified surgeon can reduce the chances of the procedure negatively impacting your airways or vocal cords in the long term. Please note that an initial rough voice and soreness of the throat are normal after surgery.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the cost of a tracheal shave at the Gender Confirmation Center?

The best way to receive an accurate estimate of the cost of the Tracheal Shave is to book a free consultation with one of our surgeons. Gender-affirming procedures for the lower third of the face––i.e., tracheal shave, genioplasty and mandible contouring––can cost between $4,500 to $50,000. We encourage you to book a free consultation to assess the cost of the tracheal shave surgical procedure if you are interested in it as a standalone surgery.

Will a tracheal shave affect my voice?

No. Some assume that the tracheal shave surgery affects the voice. Because the surgery does not affect the length or shape of the vocal cords but works to remove the excess thyroid cartilage around the trachea, our patients should not be worried about changes in their voice long-term. One temporary postoperative outcome is a weaker voice while healing. This is distinct from a change in pitch, and is due to a sore throat from general anesthesia.

How long does recovery take?

Recovery for this procedure can involve longer medical supervision or a hospital stay. This is because of the proximity of the incision to the airways. You may also find soreness in the throat, which usually resolves after the first week. Scars take about 12 months to fully mature, which is why we encourage patients to closely follow the scar care protocol. However, patients should expect to see the redness around the scar fade away about 6 months after surgery.

Is the procedure covered by insurance?

Coverage for medically-necessary gender-affirming care such as the tracheal shave can vary. While our insurance advocacy team has a 90% success rate in securing coverage for interested patients, coverage can vary by provider. You can learn more about our insurance advocacy team here.

Comparison Table: Tracheal Shave vs. Other Gender-Affirming Surgeries