(NewsNation) — Surgeons in Chicago kept a patient alive for two days by creating an artificial lung system, according to a Northwestern Medicine press release.
In Spring 2023, a Missouri resident was flown to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on advanced life support due to an influenza-associated lung failure that escalated into a rapid pneumonia and sepsis. At one point, his heart stopped, and doctors performed CPR.
“That infection caused his lungs to liquify and then continued to progress to the rest of his body,” said Dr. Ankit Bharat in the press release.
In many cases, with prolonged life support and time, the lungs recover. In this man’s case, his condition was too severe, and he needed a transplant. But he was too unstable to undergo the removal of his lungs and a transplant.
As a solution, the doctors designed a total artificial lung system, which allowed for circulation by helping maintain balanced blood flow through the heart. The patient was able to stay alive without the presence of any lungs for 48 hours before the transplant.
“Just one day after we took out the lungs, his body started to get better because the infection was gone,” Bharat said.
The patient’s condition improved after two days and was ready for a double transplant. Fast forward to the present, the patient is living with “excellent lung function.”
