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.