Surgeons at Northwestern Medical School in Chicago reported last week that they were able to keep a critically ill patient alive for 48 hours after having both lungs removed.
The patient, a 33-year-old Missouri resident whose name has not been released, was initially taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with lung failure related to a lung disease. influenza infection In spring 2023.
As his symptoms worsened to severe pneumonia and sepsis, his heart stopped and the team performed CPR, according to a press release about the incident.
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“He had an infection in his lungs that could not be treated. antibiotics Because it was resistant to everything,” said Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and executive director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Research Institute. “The infection liquefied his lungs and then continued to spread to other parts of his body.”
lung need to be removed This was to stop the spread of infection, but there was a dangerous risk of immediate heart failure.
“The lungs act as a ‘shock absorber’ for the right side of the heart. If you remove the lungs, the heart will have to pump against great resistance and can immediately fail,” Bharat told FOX News Digital.
“Another serious risk is that without blood flowing from the lungs to the left side of the heart, the left ventricle can collapse and potentially fatal blood clots can form.”
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The medical team designed a “total oxygenator system” (TAL) to take over gas exchange (oxygen supply and carbon dioxide removal) while the man was kept on life support. maintained blood flow It was transplanted into the patient’s heart in hopes of keeping him alive after both of his diseased lungs were removed.
“The key innovation here was that we preserved the heart’s natural physiology. By using a ‘flow-adaptive’ design, we allowed the patient’s own heart to regulate blood flow, rather than having it forced by a machine,” Bharat said.
“Just one day after having his lung removed, his body started to get better as the infection subsided.”
After 48 hours, the patient was stable enough to proceed to the next treatment. double lung transplant. After two years, he returned to his normal routine.
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“The patient’s condition is very good,” Dr. Bharat said. “He has great ability lung functionThe function of the heart is preserved and is completely functionally independent. ”
According to the medical team, this is the first successful application of this particular type of system.
“The concept of removing a lung and building a bridge for transplantation has historically been attempted in rare cases, but previous attempts faced significant limitations with respect to blood flow management and the risk of blood clots,” Bharat told FOX News Digital.
“Our system is novel because it features a self-regulating ‘shunt’ that mimics the natural physics of the lungs. protect your heartAnd use dual return tubes to maintain normal blood flow through the left ventricle. ”
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In a case study published last week in Cell Press Med, experts revealed a “molecular analysis” of the removed lung, which showed extensive scarring and damage. This supports the idea that in some severe cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome, transplantation may be the only viable option.
The researchers hope that the TAL system will eventually become a viable strategy for patients waiting for donor lungs, especially those with severe acute illness. difficulty breathing Necrotizing pneumonia or septic shock syndrome (ARDS).
“The mortality rate for these patients is over 80%, and they are often refused transplants because they are too infected,” Dr. Bharat said. “This technology allows us to ‘clean a clean slate’ by removing the infection. stabilize the patient And it serves as a bridge to successful transplantation. ”
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In the future, he added, he hopes to develop durable, implantable oxygenators that can be used not only as a bridge to transplantation, but also to help patients survive long-term.
