A case study documents how a “total artificial lung” (TAL) system temporarily supported a critically ill patient for 48 hours as part of a successful double-lung transplant.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
Total artificial lung bridge: Northwestern Medicine surgeons used a custom-designed “total artificial lung” system to support a critically ill patient for 48 hours after removing both lungs, allowing time for stabilization before a successful double-lung transplant.
Eliminating irreversible infection: Removing the severely infected, antibiotic-resistant lungs stopped ongoing sepsis and organ failure, leading to rapid clinical improvement and making transplantation possible.
Molecular guidance for transplant decisions: Advanced genetic and cellular analyses of the removed lungs showed…