California resident Brenda Jensen regained her voice after 11 years thanks to successful laryngeal transplant surgery performed by British and American surgeons, reports the British media.
This is only the second successful operation of its kind in history. The first was performed at a clinic in Cleveland, Ohio in 1998.
The larynx is an important organ not only because it contains the vocal cords, but also because it is vital for swallowing and breathing, and for the circulation of air in the body. The taste and smell, in turn, depend on it.
Jensen, 52, injured her larynx 11 years ago and was only able to communicate using a hand-held electronic device. She had to breathe through an opening in her neck and was tube fed.
During a complicated 18-hour operation, the patient had a damaged larynx, a thyroid gland controlling metabolism and a six-centimeter section of the trachea.
Ms Jensen believes that the operation gave her a new lease of life. Every day he exercises his vocal cords and swallowing muscles. It doesn’t look like I’m going to perform in a choir, but the speech is very interesting. I can’t wait to eat, drink and swim normally again, quotes the Daily Telegraph on Friday.
The larynx is an incredibly complicated organ with intricately interconnected nerves and muscles that give voice and allow breathing, says Prof. Gregory Farwell, who oversaw the operation.
The operation was successful thanks to the fact that we gathered a unique group of specialists in many fields and used the latest surgical and rehabilitation techniques, and also thanks to the fact that we found a patient ready to undergo surgery and use a new larynx – he added.
Admittedly, the donor of the transplanted larynx was the woman who died in the accident, but Ms Jensen speaks in her own voice.
Prof. Martin Birchall of University College London points out that an operation of this kind is a huge technical undertaking and will never be used on a large scale. It indicates that the larynx has more delicate muscle fibers than anywhere else in the body, and that the larynx itself performs multiple functions. This is the most complicated organ to repair, he explained.
The surgery was decided, among others. because in 2006 Mrs. Jensen had a kidney and pancreas transplant. Because she was taking immunosuppressants because of this. This means that taking additional immunosuppressants due to a laryngeal transplant would not be at greater risk for postoperative complications.