Turkish man with vocal cord paralysis to regain voice after 16 years
A 19-year-old Turkish man who has vocal cord paralysis will be able to have his voice back after a surgery in Ankara, a first in Turkey, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Feb. 28.
Güven Enes Çakır had a heart surgery when he was three years old, which left him with vocal cord paralysis. Ever since, he has not been able to use the left half of his laryngeal.
Çakır’s voice was weak and hard to hear especially in crowded places, and he had difficulty in swallowing food or liquids.
After spending 16 years with vocal cord paralysis, Çakır had a surgery in Ankara, in which a nerve from his neck was transferred to his laryngeal.
The surgery, which was a first in Turkey, was carried out by Prof. Dr. Taner Yılmaz, the head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Hacettepe University Medical Faculty.
“We basically added a new nerve to his laryngeal. We expect his voice to be much stronger and healthier in three to six months. After a year, his voice will be completely normal,” Yılmaz said.
Çakır said he is excited to be the first patient to have undergone this surgery in Turkey and is eager to hear his own voice.
Çakır, who hasn’t worked anywhere after his graduation from high school, said he wants to be a police officer as soon as he gets his strong and healthy voice.
