Indian-origin doctor conducts first lung transplant surgery in U.S on COVID-19 affected woman

First ever Lung Transplant surgery in a Covid-19 patient in U.S was successfully conducted in Chicago. A team of surgeons from Northwestern Medicine led by chief of thoracic surgery and surgical director Ankit Bharat achieved this groundbreaking victory by implanting a new set of lungs to a young woman’s damaged lung from the coronavirus.

It is believed to be the first ever in the US since the pandemic outbeak. Northwestern Medicine in Chicago said the recipient is the woman in her 20s.

She is in intensive care and recovering from the operation after being on lung and heart assistance devices for two months, The Washington Post reported.

Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and surgical director of Northwestern’s lung transplant programme, said organ transplantation may become more common in the patients of severe COVID-19.

“This is one of the toughest transplants I’ve done,” he said. “This was truly one of the most challenging cases.” Meerut-born Bharat said.

“I certainly expect some of these patients will have such severe lung injury that they will not be able to carry on without transplant,” said Mr Bharat.”This could serve as a lifesaving intervention,” the Washington Post quoted him as saying.

The patient, who has not been publicly identified, was on immunosuppressant medication for a previous condition when she contracted the coronavirus, he said.
Surgeons in Austria on May 26 had conducted the world’s first ever lung transplant for a Covid-19 patient.