World’s first larynx transplant gives cancer patient her voice back

“The surgery and the patient’s progress have exceeded our expectations. This is a tremendous accomplishment and we are paving the way for what we believe is the future of laryngeal transplantation,” said Dr. David Lott, Division of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery/Audiology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

This successful transplant gives hope to patients who cannot speak, swallow or breathe due to throat problems. The American Cancer Society predicts that there will be approximately 12,650 new cases of throat cancer in the United States in 2024.

21-hour operation

A laryngeal transplant is a complex surgical procedure that involves replacing the larynx and surrounding structures. Only a few such transplants have been performed worldwide.

According to the press release, he received the third laryngeal transplant ever performed in the United States and the “first in a patient with active cancer in the United States.”

The surgical team first removed a rare form of throat cancer called chondrosarcoma. After the cancer was removed, the transplant took place.

An interdisciplinary team performed the 21-hour surgery, transplanting Kedian’s larynx, pharynx (upper throat), upper trachea, upper esophagus, thyroid and parathyroid glands (hormone regulation), as well as vital blood vessels and nerves.

The transplant was performed as part of the first clinical trial for laryngeal transplantation in the United States, paving the way to make this rare procedure available to even more patients in great need.