Supplied X-ray images show the chest area of a COVID patient who suffered lung damage before (L) and after a transplant operation (R). The dark areas indicate the transplanted lungs. (Photo by= courtesy of Kyoto University Hospital via Kyodo) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] Kyoto University Hospital revealed on Thursday it has performed the world's first living donor lung transplant on a patient who lost functionality of both her lungs due to infection from the novel coronavirus.
Kyodo said that the operation, which took around 11 hours to perform, transplanted part of healthy lungs from the patient's husband and son to replace her failing lungs. Both donors are in stable condition, and the patient, who is currently in intensive care, is expected to be discharged in two months if all goes well, the hospital said. The hospital said that while dozens of lung transplants to treat damage after COVID-19 infection have been performed using organs from brain-dead donors in China, the United States, and Europe, the waiting period for patients can be as long as two and a half years in Japan, where there are few such donors.
After it’s determined that the woman had no hope of recovery and only a lung transplant could save her life, her husband and son offered to donate part of their lungs. The surgery went ahead after both acknowledged the risk of decreased lung capacity on their part. Kyoto University Hospital said Thursday it has performed the world's first living donor lung transplant on a patient who lost functionality of both her lungs due to infection from the novel coronavirus.