From Silence to Survival: 150 Years of Laryngectomy and the Future of Voice
About this episode
This episode explores the history and evolution of laryngectomy and its impact on voice and breathing.
In the late nineteenth century, medicine stood at a threshold between desperation and discovery. Cancer of the larynx, the structure that gives us voice and guards our airway, was almost always fatal. Surgeons had few tools and even fewer successes. Then, in 1873, a bold and controversial operation changed everything. Theodor Billroth performed the first total laryngectomy, removing the entire voice box in a human patient. It was a radical act that saved a life, but at the cost of speech and natural breathing. That moment marked the beginning of a long and evolving journey in head and neck cancer care.
People in this episode
Host: SciPod
Topics covered
- laryngectomy
- head and neck cancer
- medical history
- surgery
- voice restoration
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: From Silence to Survival
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