In a landmark medical achievement, surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital successfully sustained a patient for 48 hours without lungs using an experimental Total Artificial Lung (TAL) system in early 2023, according to a case study published in the journal Med. The procedure enabled a life-saving double lung transplant after removing both infected organs, offering new hope for patients with irreversible respiratory failure.
The Impossible Choice: Removing Lungs to Save a Life
The 33-year-old patient, initially hospitalized with Influenza B complications, developed necrotizing pneumonia and septic shock that rendered his lungs unsalvageable. After multiple cardiac arrests and failed ECMO treatment, Dr. Ankit Bharat’s team performed a radical bilateral pneumonectomy—a complete removal of both lungs—to eliminate the infection.
Engineering Survival
The custom TAL system temporarily replaced pulmonary function by oxygenating blood and maintaining circulation through an external circuit. This unprecedented approach bought critical time for the patient’s body to stabilize before transplant surgery. Three years later, the case remains a benchmark in bridging acute organ failure with artificial support systems.
While still experimental, the TAL technology highlights progress in addressing global shortages of donor organs. Researchers emphasize its potential to save patients with severe infections or lung injuries who previously had no viable treatment options.
