Marty Kedian, a man from Massachusetts, can finally talk again! He regained his voice after a particular surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Doctors replaced his voice box, which was removed because of a rare cancer.

The 59-year-old Kedian had been battling the cancer for ten years. He needed many surgeries during that time. The cancer took away his ability to speak clearly, and he had to breathe with a tube in his throat.
“I was alive, but I wasn’t living,” Kedian said. “I liked to talk to people, but I couldn’t anymore. It made me feel weird, so I didn’t want to go out.”

This surgery was unique because it was the first time doctors replaced a voice box in someone who still had cancer. Six doctors worked together for 21 hours on the complicated operation.

Doctors say the voice box is an essential part of the throat and is not easy to replace. Dr. David Lott, who led the surgery team, said the voice box is like a complex machine with many moving parts.

This surgery was also part of a new study. Doctors want to learn more about replacing voice boxes, which could help many people with throat cancer. Every year, thousands of people in the United States get throat cancer.

Dr. Lott said that if this surgery proves to be safe and effective, it could significantly improve the lives of cancer patients. Replacing a voice box is not usually done because the medicine patients need after surgery can worsen cancer.

However, Kedian is doing great! He can already speak again, although not perfectly. He can also eat most foods ahead of what doctors expected. His first word in six months was “Hello” to Dr. Lott!