TOWSON, Md. — After surviving stage three throat cancer in 2012, Steve Navaroli thought his battle was over. But six years later, he faced an unexpected complication that would lead to another life-altering decision.
Navaroli had endured 33 radiation treatments, weekly chemotherapy, and surgery to transfer his salivary gland during his initial cancer fight.
"And that salivary gland transfer was, I mean it literally allowed me to get back to almost normal," Navaroli said.
Throat cancer survivor finds new voice after life-changing surgery removes vocal cords
After being declared cancer-free, he returned to his normal routine. However, about six years ago, he noticed something troubling during his daily walks.
"I said you know when I walk, I love to walk, man do I get winded," Navaroli said.
The radiation treatments that saved his life had left damaging scarring on his vocal cords. Dr. Bushra Lohrasbi, a head and neck specialized speech language pathologist at GBMC, explained the delayed effects of radiation therapy.
"His situation was unique of course because his cancer was years ago, his vocal cord cancer was at least 10 years ago and what we say radiation although it saved his life, its the gift that keeps on giving and years later he is faced with a poor grade in either one two or three of the categories I listed that the voice box is responsible for," Lohrasbi said.
Those three categories are speaking, breathing, and swallowing.
Navaroli faced a difficult choice: undergo tracheotomy surgery to keep his voice box, or have a laryngectomy to remove it entirely. After careful consideration, he chose the laryngectomy, a decision that proved to be lifesaving.
"By the way when we took out your vocal cords, there were spots on it and they were spots that we would have never found," Navaroli said, recounting what his doctors told him.
Now, seven months after surgery, Navaroli speaks through a stoma in his neck using a device that allows him to sound nearly like his former self. He can breathe better than he has in years.
"The advancement in research and science in our field let alone in biomechanical engineering and medical devices, in AI have skyrocketed and we are lucky enough at the dan center to be a part of the initiatives for clinical trials for new devices for AI products so our patients always have new things to try," Lohrasbi said.
Navaroli credits the team at the Milton J. Dance Center at Greater Baltimore Medical Center for restoring his quality of life.
"Just because we are removing some ones voice box doesn't mean were taking away their voice," Lohrasbi said.
The Dance Center at GBMC continues testing new voice prosthesis technology, including hands-free devices, to improve patient care and help patients maintain as normal a life as possible.
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