Real Life Miracle: Rare Surgery Restores Man’s Ability to Eat and Speak 

A 58-year-old man who lost the ability to speak, swallow, and eat following a rare surgical complication has regained those functions after undergoing a groundbreaking procedure at Sheba Medical Center.

The patient was diagnosed with throat cancer three years ago and underwent a full laryngectomy at another hospital. While the operation saved his life, it left him with devastating consequences: the surgical wound failed to heal properly, causing his pharynx to scar and close entirely. He could no longer swallow saliva, relied on a feeding tube for nutrition, and communicated only with pen and paper.

Recently, a team of specialists at Sheba performed a complex reconstructive surgery on his pharynx, successfully restoring vital abilities he thought were lost forever. The patient is now in intensive rehabilitation, but has already resumed eating and producing sounds.

“This surgery gave him back something fundamental,” said Prof. Eran Alon, head of the Ear, Nose, and Throat and Head and Neck Surgery Department at Sheba. “Imagine waking up one day and discovering that the joy of eating and conversation has been taken away from you. It’s a life-altering, deeply depressing reality. To restore those functions is an incredibly moving experience.”

While his recovery remains ongoing, doctors are optimistic about his progress, emphasizing that such outcomes highlight both the challenges and possibilities in advanced head and neck reconstruction.