Kathy Griffin Updates Fans After Vocal Cord Surgery

Kathy Griffin has shared an update following her vocal cord surgery. On Wednesday, June 12, the 63-year-old posted a photo on Instagram showing a gauze bandage on her throat, marking the spot where the surgery was performed. 

“Vocal cord surgery went well. 🙏 As you can see some scarring and swelling. It will be worth it if I get some of my voice back.🙏🙏🙏,” Kathy captioned the post.

Just a day before, Kathy took to Instagram to explain the procedure she was about to undergo. “I’m getting an implant in my left vocal cord, which was left permanently paralyzed during my lung cancer surgery, where they took out half my left lung,” she shared in a video. 

She also mentioned having an aperture, a tear above her vocal cords, which causes her voice to shift to a higher pitch during stand-up performances.

“So, anyway, I’m never nervous before surgery and I’ve had quite a few. But I am a little nervous about this one ’cause it’s my voice and I’ve already gone through it once with the voice problem,” Kathy admitted.

As part of her recovery, Kathy won’t be able to speak for the next couple of weeks. “Anyway, wish me luck, and I can’t talk at all for two weeks, which is going to drive me crazy. So I’ll be watching a lot of TikTok, and I won’t be making any,” she humorously told her followers. 

She added that she’s “always trying to make the voice better,” concluding, “This is the last thing I can say for two weeks.”

Kathy’s My Life on the PTSD-List tour is expected to resume on August 23 at Connecticut’s District Music Hall, giving her time to recover.

This latest surgery follows a similar procedure on her left vocal cord in May 2023. In an interview with PEOPLE the following month, Kathy described that surgery as “really gnarly.” Her vocal cord was initially damaged nearly two years ago during her lung cancer treatment, which included a lobectomy in August 2021. Despite being declared cancer-free by November of the same year, she has faced ongoing challenges due to the paralyzed vocal cord.

Reflecting on her experience, Kathy told PEOPLE, “The thing that’s been really crazy and kind of like, a mindf–k, is that when I had cancer, I had no symptoms, then I got the surgery where they took out half my left lung. And now it’s like, I sound and feel like I have cancer.” 

She added, “The thing that’s frustrating is I actually sound like I’m in pain, but I’m not.”