Kimberly Williams-Paisley endured a 3-hour throat surgery while awake.

Kimberly Williams-Paisley is discussing her three-hour medical procedure for her rare voice disorder.

Williams-Paisley, after being diagnosed with a life-changing condition that caused her to lose her voice for two years, sought the help of top doctors to regain her ability to speak.

In January 2023, during her visit to Nashville's Vanderbilt Voice Center, where health professionals have treated celebrities such as Johnny Cash and Wynonna Judd, she was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia, as she experienced a partial paralysis of her left vocal cord.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, dysphonia is a change in the sound or feel of your voice resulting from excessive muscle tension in and around the voice box.

Doctors inserted a scope through Williams-Paisley's nose and down her throat to examine her vocal cords. However, the medical team stated that "the muscles in her neck were so tight that the cords were barely visible," as she shared in an exclusive interview with People magazine.

Dr. Gaelyn Garrett, executive medical director of the Voice Center, stated that it was difficult to determine the condition of the vocal cords when we first saw her.

Doctors injected a hyaluronic acid filler into her left cord to see if bulking it up would aid her speech before proceeding with throat surgery.

The medical team agreed that she required a three-hour laryngoplasty surgery, which involves moving the weak left vocal cord closer to the right.

Dr. Garrett and her medical team did their best to tune the cord during the surgery, as she stated.

"We kept her awake to monitor the changes in her voice as we adjusted the position of her vocal cords. Our goal is to restore her natural voice."

As she was fully awake, Williams-Paisley described the procedure as "bizarre" when doctors opened up her throat.

"I was unable to see anything except my throat on a screen they set up, which resembled another mouth, like a large hole."

Williams-Paisley was in high spirits during the procedure, as she stated that being present during the surgery was "symbolic." She added, "I feel like I’ve been waking up to myself. I had to be fully present to cross this finish line, and I was really ready for it."

The team implanted a silicone rubber device next to the woman's left vocal cord during the procedure and asked her to speak. After removing and adjusting the size of the implant, they replaced it and had her try again. Once her voice returned to its natural tone, they knew the implant fit perfectly. The permanent implant, which should last a lifetime, allowed the woman to speak out loud again for the first time in nearly two years.

""It felt great that it was true," Williams-Paisley said."

Doctors were unable to diagnose Williams-Paisley's medical issue before her throat surgery because they couldn't see her vocal cords. Dr. Garrett described her muscle tension as a purse string squeezing the tissue above her vocal cords.

Despite trying to manage her diagnosis for a year, the "According to Jim" actress stated that her voice did not return.

She employed a range of methods, from conventional to unusual, such as "antidepressants, Invisalign braces, a vegan diet, hypnosis, a psychic, and an astrologer."

The doctor explained that sometimes an underlying problem may be uncovered during therapy, as happened with Kimberly.

Jennifer Muckala, a speech pathologist at Vanderbilt, stated that Williams-Paisley's muscles were tensing up to compensate for her vocal cords.

"She struggled to bring her vocal cords together due to the weak left cord, resulting in a leaking valve."

After the medical procedure, the "Father of the Bride" actress posted a photo of her neck scar on social media. She shielded the scar from the sun by wearing scarves.

She stated, "I'm not self-conscious about it. I'm proud. It's part of my story."

The actress, who is 53 and married to country star Brad Paisley, revealed that her husband and children were her greatest sources of support.

During her tumultuous medical journey, Williams-Paisley could only be heard whispering.

Despite her husband's efforts to be encouraging, he confessed that he was not always useful.

"He recounted to People, "I said, 'Let me hear your project.' 'Learn to power through it.' I thought maybe she just needed to clear her throat." He now realizes that his response was "so stupid and naive.""

The singer gave his wife a pink megaphone as a gift for calling the boys.

"Brad did something really kind for me, and it was so funny and necessary. I started using it right away. He's great at making me laugh."

Brad, whom she married in 2003, shares sons William and Jasper with the actress.

Despite her vocal strain, Williams-Paisley is set to host the third season of Fox's reality show "Farmer Wants a Wife," which premieres March 20.