Man Miraculously Survives 48 Hours Without Lungs Before Transplant

A 33-year-old patient was able to survive for 48 hours without lungs because of a groundbreaking medical procedure. In an article published by Nature, it was revealed that the patient, who was suffering from a severe lung infection, underwent a pioneering operation where his damaged lungs were removed and an artificial lung system was used to oxygenate his blood.

The procedure, led by Dr Ankit Bharat, thoracic surgeon at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, involved removing the patient's lungs and using a machine to oxygenate his blood.

The report also noted why this case has set a new precedent in transplant surgery. In the past, the lungs of such patients were removed and connected to an external device to maintain oxygen levels. But as per Dr Bharat, those devices don't come under the category of artificial lungs as they do not maintain blood flow across the heart.

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As per Nature's article, Dr Bharat has said that his team's design is "unique". With the help of his design, the doctors were able to maintain a balanced and continuous flow of blood to the heart. A potential risk of a heart attack was avoided as the risk of blood clots was reduced.

The findings of the case were published today in the journal Med.

"He was critically ill. His heart stopped as soon as he arrived. We had to perform CPR," Dr Bharat said as per the release.

"When the infection is so severe that the lungs are melting, they're irrecoverably damaged. That's when patients die."

The presser mentioned that the patient developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a life-threatening condition. His condition was triggered by the flu.

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The man's lungs were getting worse quite quickly, as they were also compromised by bacterial pneumonia. His lungs, heart, and kidneys started to fail because of the disease. He was apparently left with only one option to survive - a double lung transplant.

"Once the infected lungs were removed, the patient's condition improved. His blood pressure stabilized, organ function recovered, and the infection subsided. Two days later, donor lungs became available, and the surgeons performed a double lung transplant. More than two years later, the patient has returned to daily life with good lung function," the press relese noted.