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Boston Singer's Resource is sponsored in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Dr. Seth Dailey, laryngologist formerly of Brigham and Women's Hospital, by Sarah Whitten*

Dr. Seth Dailey began his Boston-based clinical practice in laryngology in 2003. He is well positioned to be at the forefront of care offered to professional voice users. He decided to specialize in laryngology due to the potential for good fixes for problems, requiring a good attention to detail and a patient population that is highly motivated to fix their voice problem. In addition he holds an interest in language and music. As a child he sang in the children’s chorus at the Metropolitan Opera and grew up in a household that listened to classical music. In practice now at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr Dailey attended medical school at New York University and did his residency at Albert Einstein Medical School. He then completed his fellowship in laryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute where he worked with Dr. Stephen Zeitels.

Research Interests and Contributions to the Field of Voice Care
The field of Laryngology is poised to offer many new innovations in voice care. Physicians like Dr. Dailey are looking to advance not just the quality of care available but also the techniques with which they are administered. Perhaps his most significant contribution to the field yet is the design of a laryngeal dissection station (LDS). This surgical station, housed in the temporal bone lab at medical schools, is designed to allow residents to practice open and endoscopic procedures on excised cadaverous lanrynges. As other fields in medicine have discovered through similar stations, the chance to have a surgical simulation on an actual human larynx gives surgeons the chance to refine their technique and understand crucial anatomical relationships before performing a procedure on a live patient.

In general, Dr. Dailey is interested in moving as many procedures as possible from inpatient to outpatient, thus reducing the use of anesthesia, hospital stay time and insurance costs. One example of this is research done with Dr. Zeitels using a pulsed dye laser for laryngeal papilloma. Treatment of the papilloma with this laser makes the procedure into an outpatient one requiring no hospital stay. Current research includes analyzing arytenoid function to further the understanding of the function of the glottis (results thus far show its primary function as a protective valve). In addition, Dr. Dailey is working with MIT graduate students on a redesign of endotracheal tubes, hoping to improve treatment for intubations.

Melding Art and Science
We spoke briefly about the ways in which singers and doctors can continue to bridge the gap between science and art. Dailey is interested in developing some common language and reference points which will allow the two worlds to communicate more effectively diagnostically and therapeutically. One of the fascinating aspects of singing is the element of artistry, which is hard to quantify. Teachers and singers have typically used imagery to supplement pedagogical knowledge. Dr. Dailey sees the Estill method (developed in the 1970’s by Jo Estill) as one method that begins to offer unification and the possibility of standardized language.

Advice to Singers
Dr. Dailey says singers should develop their awareness, not their paranoia. Knowledge is the best way to protect your voice. Educate yourself about the anatomy and physiology of your instrument. From a practical standpoint he advises against taking a job that requires excessive voice use (i.e. talking on the phone all day). If you are in need of care, don’t go to an Otolaryngologist, go to a Laryngologist – you need to see someone who is trained and experienced in treating singers. And, if you are a serious singer, it would be a good idea to have a strobe on file of your vocal folds when they are healthy. Then if you get into vocal trouble you have something to compare against.


Dr. Seth Dailey is now currently at the University of Wisconsin- Madison
http://www.surgery.wisc.edu/