A 56-year-old throat cancer patient in the French region of Alsace has been able to speak softly, breathe normally and smell with the help of an artificial "voice box," according to MedicalXpress.com.
While undergoing treatment for throat cancer, the patient had his larynx removed. He received the voice box, or artificial larynx implant, in 2015 and has not had any problems since.
"This is the first time a patient has had the implant long-term and resumed certain function such as breathing and voice, thus considerably improving his quality of life," said Nihal Engin Vrana, PhD, the vice president of PROTiP Medical, the French company that created the implant. "No episodes of pneumonia, infection, discharge, difficulty breathing or blockages were observed after 16 months of daily use."
Dr. Vrana mentioned patients who've undergone a total laryngectomy, like the 56-year-old patient, are the best candidates for the artificial larynx implementation.
More information on the device appeared in a recent issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.