{"id":1219,"date":"2016-02-15T22:13:49","date_gmt":"2012-02-15T22:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.edrugstore.md\/blog\/?p=1219"},"modified":"2012-02-15T22:13:49","modified_gmt":"2012-02-15T22:13:49","slug":"voice-box-l0215","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/voice-box-l0215\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor creates voice box from pieces of the shoulder"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A doctor in Michigan has become the first doctor to successfully reconstruct a patient\u2019s voice box using a piece of bone and cartilage from a woman\u2019s shoulder blade.<\/p>\n

A rare form of cancer threatens a woman\u2019s voice<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sherry Wittenberg was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her larynx.\u00a0 Her doctor told her that they would have to surgically remove it before the growing cancer blocker her airway.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

After examining Wittenberg\u2019s throat, Chepeha proposed a radical treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“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 \"\"<\/a>doesn’t work.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Taking the chance<\/strong><\/p>\n

After a 16 hour surgery Wittenberg\u2019s experimental procedure was done and three months later she returned to work with her voice<\/em>.<\/p>\n

While Wittenberg\u2019s voice is lower and flatter, she it is something she is used to and is happy her voice still exists.<\/p>\n

What this means for the future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chepeha\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A doctor in Michigan has become the first doctor to successfully reconstruct a patient\u2019s voice box using a piece of bone and cartilage from a woman\u2019s shoulder blade. A rare form of cancer threatens a woman\u2019s voice Sherry Wittenberg was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her larynx.\u00a0 Her doctor told her that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-health-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t