Medics have successfully treated a coronavirus patient, 65, whose condition was so severe he needed a double lung transplant.
65-year-old Cui Zhiqiang is now taken off life support after 62 days of being hooked up to an artificial lung machine, according to Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University.
The elderly man developed symptoms of Covid-19 on January 23, 2020 and was diagnosed on February 7. He was connected to a ventilator at the hospital in Hubei Province on February 17 and was put on the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) artificial lung machine the following day.
However, Mr. Cui’s condition kept on deteriorating and he was moved to the east branch of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University after a month.
Even though multiple coronavirus tests confirmed that he had recovered from the deadly bug, he could no longer breathe on his own due to the severe damage to his lungs.
The 65-year-old had developed severe pulmonary fibrosis because of coronavirus and his only chance to survive was to undergo a double lung transplant.
On April 20, he was transferred to a negative pressure operating theater where doctors performed a 6-hour double lung transplant.
“End-stage COVID-19 lung transplants are very high risk,” said head cardiothoracic surgeon Lin Huiqing. “Health workers who took part in the surgery were basically unable to communicate with words because of the positive-pressure headgear we were wearing.
“We relied fully on chemistry and experience to complete the procedure.
“It was an extreme challenge both in terms of the precision required and the psychological stress we were under.”
After 62 long days, his life support was finally turned off and he regained full consciousness two days later.
Mr. Cui could not speak properly yet due throat damage caused by over two months of intubation.
According to hospital director Wang Gaohua, the 65-year-old is the first patient to undergo a lung transplant after recovering from coronavirus.
“His muscles had basically atrophied due to his being bedbound for such a long period of time,” Mr. Wang shared.
By May 4, Mr. Cui was able to drink, vocalise and swallow. He will start breathing without oxygen support and eat by himself.
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