Larynx transplant patient inspires hometown with his voice for hope

By Marty Velasco Hames

If talking were an Olympic sport, Marty Kedian would be a gold medal winner.

After undergoing a history-making larynx transplant at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the Boston-area native is back home drawing lots of attention with his gift for gab. Marty was greeted with a spirited welcome home celebration including family, friends and a pack of news reporters, all abuzz with excitement to hear his voice for hope.

Watch: Larynx transplant patient inspires hometown with his voice for hope

Silenced by cancer

For the past decade, Marty battled a rare form of laryngeal cancer called chondrosarcoma.

"I had dozens of surgeries and treatments that, over the years, took a toll on my larynx. After the last surgery, I woke up and my voice was gone," says Marty.

The larynx, also known as the voice box, is located in the throat. Its main functions are helping people to speak, swallow and breathe.

"I had to get a tracheostomy tube implanted to help me breathe, and since then, my quality of life went downhill. People would look at me like I was strange," says Marty. "I got to the point I just didn't want to leave the house anymore."

Determined to find a way to get her husband's voice back, Marty's wife Gina scoured the internet for solutions. Her search led her to Dr. David Lott and Mayo Clinic's Larynx and Trachea Transplant Program.

Dr. Lott and his team were conducting the first clinical trial in the U.S. on laryngeal transplantation. "I applied as a candidate for the program and got accepted. They told me it wouldn't be easy, but I was not going to give up," says Marty.

The groundbreaking larynx transplant

A team of multidisciplinary doctors, including six surgeons, performed the 21-hour transplant on Feb. 29. The first step was to remove Marty's larynx.

"Our first priority was to remove the cancer," explains Dr. Lott. "When we were confident the cancer was gone, we then focused on transplanting the donor larynx."

Laryngeal transplantation is a rare procedure that has been performed only a handful of times in the world. Marty's case was the third total larynx transplant in the U.S., and the first known case performed as part of a clinical trial. Dr. Lott hopes the clinical trial will allow his team to scientifically investigate the procedure to prove it is a safe and effective option for patients.

The Mayo transplant is also the first known case in the world of a larynx transplant performed on a patient with an active cancer. Doctors were able to proceed with the transplant because Marty was already on immunosuppressive therapy from a previous kidney transplant.

"Having a patient with an active cancer who already had his own immune suppression allowed us to do the transplant safely without introducing additional risk in a way that has rarely, if ever, been done before," says Girish Mour, M.B.B.S., medical director of the program. 

Currently there are tens of thousands of people worldwide who are living without a voice box, mostly due to trauma or cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated there will be 12,650 new cases of laryngeal cancer in 2024. Dr. Lott says many of those patients will be among the highest at risk of losing their larynx.

Breaking the silence

In just over four months after his surgery, Marty had regained full ability to swallow foods, was making progress learning to breathe on his own again and speaking with his voice at 60%.

"I was able to talk to my 82-year-old mother on the phone," says Marty. She could hear me and understood every word I said. It is amazing."

"It is remarkable," says Dr. Lott. "Marty has exceeded all of our expectations. I didn't expect him to be eating a hamburger this soon after a larynx transplant, if ever. It is truly amazing."

Welcome home Marty

Marty and Gina celebrated the successful transplant with an extended road trip on their way home. "We wanted to take a moment and appreciate where this journey has led us and where we are today," says Marty.

The couple had already made a visit to the Grand Canyon. After leaving Phoenix, they stopped in San Diego to see the Pacific Ocean, visited the Golden Gate Bridge, and got a glimpse of Mount Rushmore and Niagara Falls.

"It feels so amazing to be able to talk to anyone I meet on the street," says Marty. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Lott and Mayo for giving me my life back. I am also deeply grateful for the generosity of my organ donor and the donor family. They are the true heroes of this story."

When the couple arrived home in Haverhill, they were greeted by a cheering crowd of family, friends and reporters all eager to hear his voice.

Marty Kedian talks with Boston Media on Aug. 1, 2024

"I will share my story with anyone who wants to hear it," says Marty. "My job right now is to heal up and get my voice back 100%. My next job will be to reach out to as many people as I can and let them know they can do it too."

Learn more

Learn more about chondrosarcoma and find a clinical trial.

Join the Sarcoma Support Group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic for patients and caregivers.

Also, read these articles:

• Breaking the silence: First known total larynx transplant on a patient with active cancer as part of landmark clinical trial
• Mayo Clinic marks medical milestone with world’s first known successful total larynx transplant performed in a patient with an active cancer as part of a clinical trial 
• What is laryngeal chondrosarcoma?
• Research prepares for Mayo's first larynx transplant

A version of this article was originally published on the Mayo Clinic News Network.