Double-Lung Transplant, Breast Implants Save Life of Man Who Battled Vaping-Linked Illness

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8, 2023 -- "Davey" Bauer hovered on the precipice of death, his lungs damaged by vaping and congested by antibiotic-resistant pneumonia. Doctors saved his life with a jury-rigged artificial lung, a prompt double-lung transplant … and a set of DD breast implants.

Doctors at Northwestern Medicine crafted an artificial lung to keep Bauer, 34, alive after removing lungs so heavily infected that "they started to liquify," Rade Tomic, M.D., medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute Lung Transplant Program in Chicago, said in a Northwestern news release.

But the doctors also needed a way to keep Bauer's heart from collapsing inside his chest cavity after his infected lungs were removed. That is where the DD breast implants came into play.

The innovative procedure happened in late May, after Bauer, 34, developed an antibiotic-resistant lung infection following a bout with the flu. Initially, Bauer experienced shortness of breath from his infection, but it quickly escalated. He was admitted to a St. Louis hospital and placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Bauer continued to decline, and it became clear that a double-lung transplant was his only hope for survival. Unfortunately, his infection made him a poor candidate for transportation, let alone transplantation.

"When we received a call from Davey's medical team in St. Louis, we thought we could help him, but it was also very clear he would not survive the transplant in his current condition," Tomic said. "He needed to clear the infection before we could list him for transplant, but the only way to do that was to remove both lungs."

Bauer's surgical team cooked up a strategy to remove the infected lungs and replace them with an engineered "artificial lung" that would keep oxygen flowing to his brain and organs. Breast implants would be used to support his heart until new lungs could be transplanted.

Surgeons removed the infected lungs on May 26, and Bauer's body immediately began clearing the infection. Doctors put him on the list for a lung transplant that day, and within 24 hours, a set of donor lungs became available.

On May 28, doctors removed the breast implants and implanted the donor lungs. Bauer spent several months recovering in an intensive care unit before being discharged to rehabilitation in late September. Bauer will remain in Chicago for the next year so his transplant team can continue to closely monitor him.

More Information

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2023-11-09 09:09

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords