in a medical first performed at Northwestern medicine, a patient is alive and thriving more than two years after spending 48 hours without lungs-a testament to rapidly advancing respiratory support technologies. The 33-year-old man was kept alive using an innovative extracorporeal artificial lung system while awaiting a double lung transplant, offering new hope for those with critical respiratory failure. This groundbreaking procedure highlights a potential bridge to transplant for patients facing otherwise insurmountable odds and underscores the growing possibilities within complex organ failure treatment.
In a groundbreaking medical procedure, doctors at Northwestern Medicine successfully kept a 33-year-old patient alive for 48 hours without lungs, demonstrating a new frontier in respiratory support. This case highlights the potential for innovative technologies to bridge the gap for patients awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
The young man’s life was critically threatened by a severe infection that rapidly deteriorated his lung function. He was connected to a novel extracorporeal artificial lung system developed at the Chicago hospital, which took over the vital functions of respiration until a compatible donor could be found for a double lung transplant.
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Lungs. Photo:iStock
When there are no lungs, how do you keep the patient alive? Our system solves that dilemma by maintaining normal cardiac function.
Ankit BharatThoracic surgeon
The patient’s health crisis began with an influenza B infection that quickly progressed to a severe bacterial pneumonia. A drug-resistant bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, aggressively destroyed lung tissue, to the point where doctors described the organs as virtually “melting.”
This led to multi-organ failure affecting his heart and kidneys, making an immediate transplant impossible due to the patient’s critical condition.
Faced with the inability to save the original lungs, which had become the primary source of the infection, thoracic surgeon Ankit Bharat made the radical decision to remove them. To keep him alive, a groundbreaking technology was employed:
- A device called an “adaptable flow extracorporeal total artificial lung system.”
- A mechanism to stabilize blood pressure and protect heart function.
- A system to oxygenate the blood and remove carbon dioxide independently.
- Technology that allows the heart to continue pumping blood efficiently without natural lungs.
Ankit Bharat, chief of Thoracic Surgery in the Department of Surgery. Photo:Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
A milestone marking science
“When there are no lungs, how do you keep the patient alive? Our system solves that dilemma by maintaining normal cardiac function,” explained Dr. Bharat in statements published by ‘Med’ magazine and cited by ‘Infobae.’
According to the specialist, removing the infected organs led to a surprising improvement in blood pressure and recovery of other bodily functions within hours.
After remaining connected to the artificial support system for two days, the patient demonstrated the stability needed to be listed for transplant and undergo the definitive surgery. Subsequent analysis of the original lungs revealed scarring and irreversible molecular damage, confirming that transplantation was the only viable option.
This is what you need to know. Photo:iStock
More than two years after the procedure, the patient is now living a normal life with his new organs.
This case opens a new door for young patients with acute infections previously considered fatal. While this technique currently requires highly specialized centers, the Northwestern team hopes their approach can serve as a guide for hospitals worldwide and save lives that are currently lost due to a lack of aggressive surgical options.
*This content was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on publicly available information disclosed to media outlets. It was also reviewed by a journalist and an editor.
