Home / Health / Man Lives 2 Days Without Lungs Via Artificial Lung
Man Lives 2 Days Without Lungs Via Artificial Lung
29 Jan
Summary
- Patient survived two days using an artificial lung.
- ARDS led to irreversible lung damage and infection.
- Transplant was the only option for survival.
In a remarkable medical feat, surgeons successfully kept a 33-year-old patient alive for two days without lungs using a custom-built artificial lung. The patient had developed severe ARDS, a life-threatening condition, which rapidly destroyed his lungs due to infection and inflammation, initially triggering a cardiac arrest upon arrival at the hospital.
Facing an irreversible stage of lung damage, a double lung transplant was deemed the man's only chance. Surgeons at Northwestern University removed his infected lungs and connected him to an artificial lung system. This device temporarily replicated the lungs' function, managing blood oxygenation, carbon dioxide removal, and circulation.
Following two days of support from the artificial lung, donor lungs were procured, and a successful double lung transplant was performed. More than two years later, the patient has recovered well and returned to his daily life with good lung function, showcasing the potential of this advanced medical intervention.
