In a groundbreaking medical feat, doctors at Northwestern University successfully kept a 33-year-old man alive for an astonishing 48 hours without any lungs. This incredible achievement was made possible by a custom-engineered artificial device, a complex system designed to mimic the vital functions of human lungs. The patient had been admitted to the hospital with a severe case of Influenza B, complicated by a resistant bacterial infection. This dual assault led to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a condition so severe that his lung tissue began to liquefy.
The medical team faced a dire dilemma: the patient was too ill for a transplant, yet his lungs were the source of a life-threatening infection. To combat this, they performed a bilateral pneumonectomy, surgically removing both of his damaged lungs. This created a critical physiological challenge. The human heart relies on the lungs not only for gas exchange but also to manage blood pressure and volume. Without them, the heart's right side would face immense pressure, and the left side would receive no blood, leading to immediate circulatory collapse. Traditional methods for such radical surgery are extremely risky and typically involve sequential lung replacement, not complete removal.
To overcome this, the Northwestern team developed the 'flow-adaptive extracorporeal total artificial lung system' (TAL). This sophisticated machine acted as a temporary surrogate for the lungs. It incorporated a dual-lumen cannula to drain blood from the heart, a flow-adaptive shunt to regulate pressure and prevent the right ventricle from over-distending, a dual left atrial return to ensure the left side of the heart remained adequately filled and functional, and materials to maintain the heart's position and prevent damage. The TAL system successfully stabilized the patient, resolving his septic shock and allowing his body to recover enough to undergo a double lung transplant. This innovative approach not only saved a life but also provides a potential blueprint for treating patients previously deemed beyond hope. The examination of the removed lungs also revealed that the damage was irreversible, highlighting the critical need for timely intervention and transplant consideratio n in severe ARDS cases.
Fuente Original: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/01/custom-machine-kept-man-alive-without-lungs-for-48-hours/
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