Innovative Surgery Saves Man's Life: Vaping, Flu, and Breast Implants

Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago saved the life of a 34-year-old man from De Soto by keeping his blood pumping for two days without lungs, using breast implants to hold his heart in place, until he was well enough to receive a lung transplant. The patient, who had a history of vaping and contracted the flu, developed a lung infection that was resistant to antibiotics. The surgical team created channels to drain blood from the heart, oxygenate it, and return it to the heart, allowing the patient's body to clear the infection. This innovative procedure offers a potential solution for critically ill patients who are too sick to undergo a lung transplant.