Surgeons Use Total Artificial Lung System to Keep Patient Alive Without Lungs

Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine have successfully used a custom-engineered Total Artificial Lung System to keep a patient alive for 48 hours without any lungs in his body. This medical breakthrough allowed doctors to clear a life-threatening infection before performing a successful double-lung transplant.

In the spring of 2023, a 33-year-old patient from Missouri was flown to Northwestern Memorial Hospital suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). His condition, triggered by influenza and a subsequent bacterial pneumonia, led to septic shock and "liquefied" lungs that were resistant to all antibiotics.

Standard treatment for ARDS typically involves supporting the patient until the lungs heal, but in this case, the lungs had become a source of deadly infection. To save him, surgeons needed to remove the infected organs, but doing so would normally cause the heart to collapse.

Dr. Ankit Bharat and his team engineered a Total Artificial Lung (TAL) system to act as a bridge to transplant. This system was unique because it: Replaced gas exchange by removing carbon dioxide and injecting oxygen. Maintained stable blood flow through the heart, preventing the organ failure typically seen when lungs are removed. Used temporary internal supports, specifically saline-filled breast implants, to keep the heart from shifting within the empty chest cavity.

Just one day after the infected lungs were removed, the patient’s body began to recover as the source of sepsis was gone. After 48 hours, donor lungs became available, and the transplant was successfully performed.

Beyond the surgical success, researchers performed a molecular analysis of the removed tissue using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. This data provided "biological proof" that some ARDS patients suffer irreversible scarring, meaning they cannot recover without a transplant. Two years later, the patient has fully recovered and maintains excellent lung function.

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🔖 Sources

Artificial Lung Keeps Patient Alive Without Lungs for 48 Hours Until Transplantation

Northwestern Medicine surgeons develop a total artificial lung system to keep a patient alive for 48 hours after removing both lungs, enabling a double-lung transplant

Chicago doctors keep patient alive for 48 hours without lungs

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Keywords: Total Artificial Lung System

Total Artificial Lung System

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