A 64-year-old woman from Bahrain was provided with a device as a temporary replacement for her dysfunctional lungs at Global Health City here, recently.
Fatima Mohammed Ahmed, who, according to her surgeons, was “obese and moribund, and couldn’t walk”, was fitted with the device that will carry out the functions of the lungs till she is fit for a transplant, or receives a suitable donor organ.
Ms. Fatima had undergone a lung transplant three years ago at the hospital, but had since developed an infection that resulted in rejection of the lungs. As her nutritional level was also compromised, she was on ventilator support.
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Pulmonologist Vijil Rahulan, who treated her, said she had suffered end-stage lung failure requiring a heart-lung bypass machine. In her condition, the usual extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) procedure could not be considered as it could lead to permanent organ damage and bleeding.
She was given an artificial lung device, which is implanted through the femoral artery and vein, and a part of it is outside the body. The membrane in the device does the function of the lungs, supporting blood flow of 1.3 to 2 litres per minute and oxygen of 15 l/minute. The patient’s blood pressure helps to maintain the blood flow.
Transplant surgeon Rahul Chandola said the patient’s nutritional level had improved. “In a few weeks, she will be ready for transplant. The device is known to have supported lung function for as much as five-and-a-half months,” he said.
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