Overview
- Northwestern Medicine surgeons led by Ankit Bharat report the case in Med (Cell Press), presenting it as a proof-of-concept for an external artificial lung system.
- The 33-year-old developed ARDS after influenza with necrotizing bacterial pneumonia and septic shock, arriving in cardiac arrest with multiorgan failure.
- Doctors performed a bilateral pneumonectomy and connected the patient to a custom extracorporeal setup that oxygenated blood, removed carbon dioxide, and sustained pulmonary circulation.
- The device stabilized blood pressure, allowed other organs to recover, reduced infection, and maintained viability until compatible donor lungs were available two days later.
- More than two years on, the patient has good pulmonary and cardiac function; experts note the approach is currently limited to highly specialized centers, with a 2016 Toronto case cited as precedent.