Overview
- Northwestern surgeons removed both infected lungs and connected the patient to a custom total artificial lung after influenza-related ARDS and septic shock.
- The system oxygenated blood, removed carbon dioxide, and stabilized circulation using dual flow channels and a flow-adaptive shunt to protect the heart.
- Across 48 hours without native lungs, blood pressure normalized, organ function recovered, and the infection cleared.
- Donor lungs arrived two days later, the transplant succeeded, and the patient remains well more than two years later with robust lung function.
- The case, published in Med, is presented as a proof of concept suitable for specialized centers with calls for standardized devices, registries, and multicenter validation.