All articles tagged with #artificial lung
Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine used a total artificial lung system to take over gas exchange after removing both diseased lungs from a critically ill patient, preserving heart function and bridging him to a double-lung transplant. The patient survived 48 hours on life support and, after the procedure, recovered well; two years later he has normal lung function and is fully independent.
Doctors in Chicago used a total artificial lung to keep a Missouri man alive after a rare infection liquefied his lungs. In a 12-hour operation involving about 15 clinicians, his lungs were removed and connected to an external artificial lung, allowing him to survive for 48 hours before receiving a donor lung transplant.
Northwestern researchers demonstrated a total artificial lung system (TAL) that temporarily replaces both diseased lungs for two days in a 33-year-old man with ARDS and sepsis, buying time for a successful double lung transplant; the patient recovered and is thriving two years later. TAL fully substitutes lung function and maintains heart stability, unlike ECMO, and while currently limited to specialized centers, the team envisions multicenter studies to refine protocols and expand use as a life-saving bridge to transplantation.
A 33-year-old man with influenza-triggered ARDS survived 48 hours on an external artificial-lung system that maintained blood flow to the heart, allowing a double lung transplant. He recovered rapidly, kidneys and heart function normalized, and years later shows no rejection, suggesting the device could help other critically ill patients awaiting transplants.
Northwestern doctors used a custom flow-adaptive artificial lung to sustain a critically ill patient for 48 hours after removing both diseased lungs, stabilizing circulation and oxygenation until a donor pair became available for a successful double lung transplant.
Davey Bauer, a 34-year-old man, underwent a remarkable double lung transplant after his lungs were completely removed due to a severe bacterial infection. During the surgery, an "artificial lung" and breast implants were used as placeholders to support his heart. The innovative surgeries, devised by Dr. Ankit Bharat and his team at Northwestern Medicine, kept Bauer alive until donor lungs became available. The case demonstrates the potential of new technology to sustain patients without lungs and offers hope for future transplant candidates. Bauer, now recovering, hopes his story inspires others to quit smoking or vaping.
A man in Missouri underwent a life-saving double-lung transplant after developing a severe lung infection that was resistant to antibiotics. Due to his weakened condition, surgeons used breast implants to support his heart in the absence of lungs during the procedure. The implants kept his heart in place while he cleared the infection, and two days later, healthy donor lungs were successfully transplanted. This rare technique, which involves using an artificial lung to supply oxygen to the blood, offers hope for critically ill patients who are too weak for immediate transplants. The patient's history of smoking and vaping may have contributed to his illness, highlighting the risks associated with these habits.
Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago have successfully performed a double lung transplant using breast implants and an artificial lung for the first time. The patient, a former smoker and vaper, developed severe lung damage from vaping and two antibiotic-resistant infections following the flu. With both lungs removed, the surgeons used large breast implants to prevent the patient's heart from collapsing inside the chest cavity. The innovative procedure allowed the patient to survive until a suitable donor match was found. After the infected lungs were removed, the breast implants were taken out, and the donor lungs were transplanted. The patient is now recovering and grateful for a second chance at life.