A doctor in Michigan has become the first doctor to successfully reconstruct a patient’s voice box using a piece of bone and cartilage from a woman’s shoulder blade.
A rare form of cancer threatens a woman’s voice
Sherry Wittenberg was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her larynx. Her doctor told her that they would have to surgically remove it before the growing cancer blocker her airway.
If Wittenberg opted for the surgery, she would lose her voice, something she valued greatly as a saleswoman. Witten went for a second opinion and found Dr. Douglas Chepeha at the University Hospital in Ann Arbor.
After examining Wittenberg’s throat, Chepeha proposed a radical treatment.
“I didn’t promise the moon,” Chepeha said. “I’m was very clear about what I was proposing. I told her that it is very likely that we would have to do a larengectomy if this 
doesn’t work.”
Wittenberg decided to take the chance and let Chepeha remove the tumor growing on her larynx and reconstruct the cartilage around her voice box from pieces in her shoulder.
Taking the chance
After a 16 hour surgery Wittenberg’s experimental procedure was done and three months later she returned to work with her voice.
While Wittenberg’s voice is lower and flatter, she it is something she is used to and is happy her voice still exists.
What this means for the future
Chepeha’s new creation could have a big impact for others who may lose their voice. From cancer patients like Wittenberg, to babies who sometimes lose their voice after having a breathing tube for too long, the possibility of saving a voice is now possible.
“It’s literally like figuring out that you can take a foundation out from under a house and the house won’t fall apart,” Chepeha said. “It’s a big step forward.”
