Six surgeons at a Mayo Clinic in Arizona successfully transplanted the larynx of Marty Kedian, a 59-year-old Massachusetts man with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of laryngeal cancer.
This was the first total larynx transplant performed on a patient with active larynx cancer. Transplantation of the larynx is a complex procedure, documented in only three previous cases, according to a press release from the Mayo Clinic. The larynx, or voice box, contains the vocal cords and protects the throat from choking on food.
Restoring Quality of Life
Mr. Kedian was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 after he began having trouble swallowing food. Doctors told him his condition required surgery. He had multiple surgeries during the ensuing decade, as part of his larynx was removed, and his voice became quiet and raspy. When he could no longer breathe on his own, a tracheostomy tube was surgically inserted into his neck.
Huey Freeman
Author
A newspaper reporter, editor, and author, Huey Freeman recently wrote “Who Shot Nick Ivie?” a true crime book on the murder of a border patrol agent. He lives in Central Illinois with his wife Kate.
