Remarkable Success: 23-Year-Old Patient Saved by Unprecedented Double Lung Transplant

Doctors in Mahabubabad saved the life of a 23-year-old man who attempted suicide by drinking a toxic herbicide. The patient’s kidneys and liver recovered, but his lungs suffered irreversible damage. The medical team performed a rare double lung transplant using donor lungs from a cadaveric brain-dead donor. The patient was placed on a mechanical ventilator and underwent a month of extra corporal support (ECMO) before the transplant. The surgery was successful, but the patient will need to take immuno-suppressant drugs for the rest of his life. The cost of the surgery, approximately ₹50 lakhs, was raised through social media and crowdfunding.

This case was unique because there is limited availability of tests to determine the residual amount of the toxic chemical in the patient’s body before a transplant. Additionally, the patient experienced multiple infections and complications during the post-transplant period. Despite these challenges, the medical team was able to perform the double lung transplant and save the patient’s life.


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