First larynx transplant in France

For the first time in France, a 49-year-old patient underwent a larynx transplant at the Hospices Civils in Lyon last September, giving her the ability to speak a few words.

Following a cardiac arrest in 1996 and complications related to her intubation in intensive care, a patient developed 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐧𝐱. The latter eventually deteriorated over the following years, forcing the patient to rely solely on 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. This complex procedure required an 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐬. Professor Ceruse's team comprised fourteen surgeons who had been meeting regularly since 2012 to discuss and prepare for such a surgery.

The operation lasted 𝟐𝟕 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, from harvesting the donor to transplanting the larynx into the recipient patient. After a 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟒𝟓 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, the patient was able to return home. However, it will take at least 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 to determine 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 of this transplant. Since her operation, she has been undergoing 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞-𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, with the help of a speech therapist. If no complications arise in the meantime, she should be able to 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬.

Medical progress never ceases to amaze us, and this breakthrough brings even 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.