For singers, their voice is their identity—it's what launched their career in the music industry, after all. So there's a clear risk involved when undergoing some kind of vocal cord operation. But for Jessa Zaragoza, one of the OPM legends, it was something she could bravely do if it meant having a healthier body.
That's what the 45-year-old celebrity revealed in an Instagram post just days ago. Jessa had to undergo a vocal cord operation sometime in late July 2024. She shared that it all happened after her husband, Dingdong Avanzado, held his 37th Anniversary concert on July 19.
Jessa disclosed that she just tried her very best to attend her husband's concert despite feeling sick at the time. "Prior to the concert, I got really sick. Ni-rounds ko na ata 'yung mga ospital. Cardinal, St. Lukes, Diliman. Tinawid ko lang talaga sa concert," she wrote in her post.
And then the storytelling began. Aside from getting the usual seasonal flu, Jessa's medical findings discovered a vocal polyp and esophageal varices in her vocal cords. Apparently, it wasn't the first time that Jessa experienced this.
She explained, "Apart from the other sickness I dealt with, I had noticed some hoarseness coming from my voice and upon examination, discovered I had a Vocal polyp and Esophageal varices on my vocal folds. This is the second time I’ve dealt with something to this extent, so it definitely alarmed me that I had to go through this again."
The singer disclosed that the surgery went well, meaning that the polyp and varices were removed from her vocal cords. Post-surgery meant that absolute vocal rest for the singer, which she took seriously. "The recovery process began and I had to go on complete vocal rest for over a week. No talking whatsoever," she stated.
Jessa couldn't believe everything that she had experienced in just a few weeks. But the singer still had the energy to jest about her condition. She said, "The stress really took a toll on my health. Napakanta na talaga ako ng kanta ko, "Parang di ko yata kaya!""
After all, the recovery process for these kinds of medical surgeries really takes time and one cannot force the healing to speed up. As Jessa thanked her husband, friends, and family for praying and taking care of her, she's also hoping to recover 100% of her singing capabilities. She even mentioned that she's actually having a North American tour in September, which is just a few weeks from now.
She expressed, "I can’t wait to use my instrument again and do what I do best, which is performing for you all; our kababayans."
Jessa Zaragoza's first vocal cord operation
It was in 2018 when Jessa had her first vocal cord operation, and she admitted that it was a really scary experience for her as a singer. After the surgery, it was the first time that she also lost her voice. She couldn't speak for weeks, and it took her months to be able to recover her healthy voice again.
"Parang tinanggap ko na rin sa sarili ko, nag-pray ako before the surgery, sabi ko 'Lord kung babawiin mo na 'to sakin, 'tong pinahiram mo sa aking gift [voice], tatanggapin ko.' I was humbled talaga 'dun sa nangyari," she narrated in a 2019 interview with Boy Abunda. In the same interview, Jessa also touched on the fact that she has been advocating for people to learn sign language, even before her surgery.
