Volume 70 Number 3 May 2003	back to contents

Address all correspondence to Eric M. Genden, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Box 1189, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One East 100th Street, New York, NY 10029.

Presented at the Issues in Medical Ethics 1999 Conference at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY on December 10, 1999, and updated as of January 2002.

ABSTRACT

Over the last decade, there have been extraordinary developments in the field of transplantation science. As a result, organ transplantation enjoys a success that is unparalleled since its introduction nearly 50 years ago. Progress in the laboratory has translated into less toxic, more effective immunosuppressive therapies that have improved both allograft survival and patient quality of life. Consequently, physicians and their patients look toward a new frontier, the transplantation of non-vital organs. While the transplantation of non-vital organs is technically feasible, as demonstrated by the recent success of a human laryngeal transplant, a variety of ethical concerns must be confronted before tracheal and laryngeal transplantation can be offered to patients as a reconstructive option. When considering the risks and benefits of non-vital organ transplantation, one must consider the immeasurable impact of a procedure on the patient’s quality of life. The focus of this article is on quality of life and the role of laryngotracheal transplantation in contemporary medicine.

KEY WORDS

Laryngeal transplantation, surgery, ethical consideration.

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