During the conference, Professor Philippe Céruse, Head of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at HCL, delivered a presentation titled “Preliminary overview and results of the first French laryngeal transplantation with selective nerve reinnervation.” He systematically introduced the development of Évaluation Clinique de LA Transplantation (ECLAT, French cooperative Laryngeal Transplantation Clinical Assessment group) and shared in detail the core protocol and patient recovery outcomes from France's first such procedure performed in 2023. This technique significantly improves postoperative voice and swallowing function, offering a new direction for the advancement of laryngeal transplantation.
Subsequently, Professor Chen Fei from the WCH Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery shared a presentation on “WCH laryngeal transplantation technology development and ethical considerations.” He outlined the team’s journey since initiating animal experiments in 2006, highlighting the over-a-decade-long exploration that culminated in Asia’s first combined larynx-trachea-thyroid transplantation in 2023. Drawing on seven clinical cases, Professor Chen comprehensively presented the team’s experience in surgical design, core techniques, rejection monitoring, and multidisciplinary management. He emphasized the team’s guiding philosophy: “Enabling patients to speak is enabling them to live fully.”
Dr. Jiang Zheng and Senior Technician Ren Jia delivered specialized presentations on perioperative medication management, surgical technique refinement, and postoperative voice and swallowing function training. These presentations comprehensively showcased WCH’s practical experience in establishing standardized diagnosis and treatment protocols and individualized rehabilitation systems for laryngeal transplantation.
A dedicated patient exchange session was featured at the conference. Four laryngeal transplant recipients shared their diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation experiences in person, and engaged in discussions with Professor Céruse about their post-surgery concerns and future expectations. Professor Céruse highly commended the patients’ recovery outcomes. The participants also engaged in in-depth exchanges on key issues including the advantages and disadvantages of different surgical approaches in China and France, prevention and management of postoperative complications, and optimization of immunosuppressive regimens.
