In a larynx transplant, multiple tissue components are transplanted. It’s an example of vascularized composite allograft transplantation, or VCA transplant. This type of transplant can include the larynx, pharynx, esophagus, trachea, thyroid and parathyroid glands, neurovascular structures, and skin.

Narrator: The procedure is actually a composite neck transplant. Along with the larynx, the team transplanted nearby organs and tissue, including the thyroid gland, pea size parathyroid glands, pharynx, also known as the throat, upper esophagus, upper trachea, and skin. It's a surgery with special challenges that is done through the strict human protection guidelines of a clinical trial.

Aug. 20, 2024