To date, only two laryngeal transplants have been completed in the United States. Tim Heidler first received his new larynx in 1998 when he was 40 years old. Heidler suffered trauma to the larynx in a motorcycle accident nearly 20 years before his surgery. He was using an ElectroLarynx at the time, but was hopeful to regain vocal function following a laryngeal transplant. Ten months following his surgery, Heidler was able to speak with near normal voicing, was eating an oral diet, and had a functioning thyroid gland. Heidler suffered vocal fold paralysis following the surgery, though, and required a tracheostomy. He breathes normally through the stoma and is able to produce a voice. Nearly 10 following the surgery, Heidler reported that being able to speak again has changed his life (1,2).
Tim Heidler
Brenda Jensen was the second patient to receive a laryngeal transplant in 2010 at the UC Davis Medical Center in California. Jensen damaged her larynx when she repeatedly pulled out a ventilation tube during a hospital stay 12 years before her surgery. Following this incident, Jensen required a tracheostomy to breathe and used an electronic device to talk. Thirteen days after the transplant, Jensen was able to produce a voice through her own structures. It was much lower in pitch and harsh, but still intelligible. Jensen still relies on the tracheostomy for breathing as she still has difficulty inhaling. She still receives nutrition through a feeding tube as she still aspirates while eating and drinking. However, she receives swallowing therapy and her sensation and laryngeal function has improved since the surgery. Her surgeons report that Jensen smiles every time she hears her voice (3).
Brenda Jensen
These two cases provide hope and inspiration for future patients who wish to have a laryngeal transplant. Both of these patients served as case studies for future research in the field as well.
Resources:
1. Whitley, M.A. (2009). Tim Heidler, world's first larynx transplant recipient at Cleveland Clinic, is doing well: Whatever happened to . . .? Retrieved from http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/06/tim_heidler_worlds_first_laryn.html
2. Iskowitz, M. (1998). Transplanting the Larynx. Retrieved from http://speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com/Article/Transplanting--the-Larynx.aspx
3. Larynx: Q&A. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/2010-2011/01/20110126_larynx_transplant_qa.html
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