World's first artificial partial lung transplant 'a success'
05 March, Daily Telegraph
The world's first artificial partial lung transplant carried out on a
78-year-old patient with lung cancer has been declared a success, two
and a half years after the operation took place.
The surgical innovation, carried out on Oct 28 2009 by a team at
Paris's Avicenne Hospital avoided the complete removal of the lung.
The result was that "the cancerous growth could be removed with
greater safety margins" and also "avoidance of the foreseen complete
removal of the lung carrying very high risk of post-operation death,"
the group Public Assistance - Paris Hospitals said in a statement.
The patient "is very well" following the graft of the artificial
airway, said Emmanuel Martinod, the thoracic and vascular surgeon who
carried out the surgery.
"Our procedure followed 10 years of research," he said, adding
however that "we must remain very prudent".
The artificial bronchus was made up of biological material
strengthened by a stent. The use of aortic tissue, preserved by cold and
available from a tissue bank, had the advantage of not needing
anti-rejection treatment.
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