Polish doctors perform throat transplant
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
05.05.2015 14:10
Surgeons in Poland have completed a complicated transplant of the throat area.
The patient Michał (R) was able to whisper "Thank you" during the conference. Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel
The patient, a 37-year old man, suffered from an advanced stage of cancer in his voice box. This made it impossible for the man to breath, swallow or speak, said Dr. Adam Maciejewski, the surgeon behind the procedure.
The patient, has been identified only as Michał, can now speak, albeit in hushed tones, and swallow liquefied food.
A press conference was held on Monday at the Oncology Center in the southern Polish city of Gliwice.
The transplant sounded “very unique and advanced, especially if the patient can to some extent produce voice and swallow,” said Dr. Bo-Goran Ericzon, a professor at the Karolinska Hospital in Huddinge, Sweden, who was not involved in the surgery.
The operation led by Dr Maciejwski saw the man's larynx, trachea, pharynx, oesophagus as well as the thyroid gland being transplanted.
Michał also received the parathyroid muscular structure and skin coating the front wall of the neck, from a donor.
The procedure was performed on 11 April. (rg)
Source: AP, PAP