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Ivan - If singing is so important a part of your life, then I would recommend against a pallidotomy for the time being. I don't think there is any surgeon alive who can guarantee that your voice won't be affected, and if one does make that promise, run!!! It seems to be the most common side effect of the pallidotomy procedure. Some people end up with slurred speech, I suppose, while others end up having to exert much more effort just to make a reasonable volume of sound. There was some hope, I think, that the experimental pallidal stimulation surgery would avoid the speech problems caused by pallidotomy, but that does not seem to be the case. It's possible that there's help available for those with weak voices following surgery - see the posting on collagen injections for speech on yesterday or today's list. I don't know of any help for slurred speech, however. Ivan, only you can decide if you can hang in there until something better comes along. If it gets to the point that your quality of life is severely diminished, and there's nothing better in sight, you might check into the pallidal stimulation surgery, if it has been approved by the FDA or if you can find a hospital with approval for the experimental version, simply because it's reversible if the results aren't what you want. Good luck. I know you're in a tough spot in terms of decision-making. One thing to consider, though, is that it seems to me just from anecdotal evidence that those who end up with faint voices following surgery were those who had a bit of that problem before surgery. If you have a strong basso profundo, it's possible you wouldn't be affected that way. No guarantees about the slurring, though. If you want info regarding pallidal stimulation surgery, you can write to us directly at [log in to unmask] Best wishes - Margie Swindler cg for Dick, 52/15