Laryngeal Transplantation and 40-Month Follow-up

Abstract

Total laryngectomy and total occlusion of the larynx with tracheostomy are associated with an impaired sense of taste and smell, an increased incidence of tracheobronchial infections, stomal encrustations, loss of nasal respiration, and loss of a human-sounding voice. A fundamental consideration in treating a patient whose larynx has been irreparably damaged is whether the goals of surgery should include replacement of the larynx to improve the patient's quality of life. An early attempt to treat laryngeal cancer with a partial laryngeal transplant¹ was accompanied by rapid recurrence of the tumor, an outcome that quashed interest in the procedure for nearly two decades. Similarly, tracheal transplantation has had only limited success.^2,3