James Daniero, MD and Jonathan Garneau, MD Perform Region’s First Bilateral Selective Laryngeal Reinnervation

James Daniero, MD, MS and Jonathan Garneau, MD, faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, performed the region’s first bilateral selective laryngeal reinnervation on Friday, January 20, 2023. The 12+ hour procedure reroutes delicate nerves to the larynx restoring the complex functions of speaking, swallowing, and breathing. Once considered impossible, new techniques have given patients the opportunity to communicate and breathe without a tracheostomy tube. The surgery has been performed approximately 10 times in the U.S. to date, including New York, Texas, and Utah. Now UVA is added to that short list! Results from the surgery will be evident in 6 to 12 months as the transplanted nerves slowly grow into the voice box. Other team members who assisted with the surgery include Chief Residents Annesha Basu, MD and Rachel Jonas, MD. Dr. Jonas plans to follow in Dr. Daniero’s footsteps and complete a fellowship in Laryngology next year at the University of Washington.

Filed Under: Clinical, Faculty