“He was in a critical state. Upon arrival, his heart had already ceased functioning, necessitating immediate CPR,” explained Dr. Ankit Bharat, the lead author and thoracic surgeon.
“When an infection is so severe that it causes the lungs to deteriorate, the damage is beyond repair,” he continued.
“At that point, patients face fatal outcomes.”
The patient, a 33-year-old man, had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, a dangerous condition where inflammation and infection severely impact the lungs.
Consequently, his heart and kidneys began to fail as well.
With his lungs irreparably damaged, a double lung transplant was his only hope for survival. However, his condition was too critical to undergo such a procedure immediately.
”The heart and lungs are intrinsically connected,” Bharat said.
“When there are no lungs, how do you keep the patient alive?”
To solve the problem, Bharat’s team engineered an artificial lung system that temporarily replaced the lungs’ functions.
The system oxygenated the blood, removed carbon dioxide, and helped maintain a stable blood flow through the heart and body.
Once the infected lungs were removed, the patient’s condition improved.
His blood pressure stabilised, organ function recovered, and the infection subsided.
Two days later, donor lungs became available, and the surgeons performed a double lung transplant.
More than two years later, the patient has returned to daily life with good lung function.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
