The Current Status of Human Laryngeal Transplantation in 2017: A State of the Field Review

Objectives: Human laryngeal allotransplantation has long been contemplated as a surgical option following laryngectomy, but there is a paucity of information regarding the indications, surgical procedure, and patient outcomes. Our objectives were to identify all human laryngeal allotransplants that have been undertaken and reported in the English literature and to evaluate the success of the procedure. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, Current Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science and Scopus, and the Gray literature. Review Methods: A comprehensive search strategy was undertaken across multiple databases. Inclusion criteria were case reports of patients who had undergone human laryngeal allotransplantation. Information regarding indications, operative techniques, complications, graft viability, and functional outcomes were extracted. Results: A total of 5,961 articles, following removal of duplicates, matched the search criteria and were screened, with five case reports relating to two patients, ultimately fulfilling the entry criteria. Conclusions: Two laryngeal transplants have been reported in the medical literature. Although both patients report improved quality of life relating to their ability to communicate with voice, further research is necessary to shape our understanding of this complicated operation, its indications, and its functional outcomes.