Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic performs world’s first successful larynx transplant cancer patient

July 17, 2024

Mayo Clinic has achieved a medical milestone by successfully performing the world’s first known total larynx transplant on a patient with active cancer as part of a clinical trial. The patient, Massachusetts resident Marty Kedian, regained his voice, and the ability to swallow and breathe on his own, exceeding the transplant team’s expectations.

The surgery, performed by a multidisciplinary team of doctors in Arizona and led by Dr. David Lott, is the third known larynx transplant in the U.S., and the first known case performed on a patient with active cancer. The success of this procedure is seen as a milestone in making larynx transplantation a scientifically proven, safe, and effective procedure for a wider population.

Four months after his surgery, "Mr. Kedian has already regained about 60% of his voice, which I wouldn't have thought would happen for at least a year. He still speaks with the same voice and Boston accent he had prior to the cancer," said Dr. Lott. (Mayo Clinic, 2024)

Source:

(2024, July 9). Mayo Clinic [Press Release]. Mayo Clinic marks medical milestone with world’s first known successful total larynx transplant performed in a patient with an active cancer as part of a clinical trial. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-marks-medical-milestone-with-worlds-first-known-successful-total-larynx-transplant-performed-in-a-patient-with-an-active-cancer-as-part-of-a-clinical-trial/