A Landmark Breakthrough: How a Patient Survived 48 Hours Without Lungs, Sustained by an Artificial System While Awaiting a Transplant
US medical professionals have achieved an unprecedented medical feat: for the first time ever, a patient went 48 hours completely without lungs, kept alive entirely by an artificial support system, and successfully received a donor organ transplant. This accomplishment unlocks fresh potential for life-saving interventions in critical scenarios where removing both diseased lungs is the sole viable option, yet an immediate transplant is not feasible.
The individual in question was a 33-year-old male admitted with severe complications stemming from the flu. He developed respiratory failure, necrotic pneumonia, and sepsis. The infection proved entirely impervious to every available antibiotic. “There was nothing to combat it with,” stated Ankit Bharat, the technology’s creator and a surgeon at Northwestern University.
The medical team faced a fatal predicament: foregoing the removal of the lungs meant certain death from the infection, yet performing the complete excision without replacement support would also result in fatality due to the cessation of gas exchange and blood circulation.
To overcome this obstacle, an advanced artificial lung system, conceptualized by Dr. Bharat, was deployed. This device seamlessly assumed the responsibilities of the excised organs, oxygenating the blood and maintaining its flow throughout the body.
The patient’s condition began to show positive changes just twenty-four hours after the bilateral pneumonectomy (the removal of both lungs). Following 48 hours of sustaining support from the artificial apparatus, he was stabilized and sufficiently robust to successfully undergo the subsequent operation to receive the donor lungs.
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