Breast Implants Used to Stabilize Heart in Groundbreaking Double-Lung Transplant

Innovative technique used by Northwestern Medicine surgeons saves 34-year-old Davey Bauer from severe lung infection and keeps him alive without lungs for two days, with the procedure poised to open new paths in transplant science.

34-year-old Davey Bauer, who had a severe lung infection, underwent a groundbreaking double-lung transplant operation where surgeons at Northwestern Medicine used breast implants to stabilize his heart. This innovative approach was taken due to the severity of the infection making a standard transplant impossible.
The breast implants were used to physically support Bauer's heart and prevent it from moving around or falling deeper into the chest cavity, a risk associated with the removal of the lungs.
After the removal of his infected lungs, Bauer was kept alive for two days using a life-support device called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) while he cleared the infection from his bloodstream.
Two days after his lungs were removed, and once the infection had cleared, the breast implants were replaced with healthy donor lungs. The successful transplant means Bauer is expected to make a full recovery.
While the use of breast implants is a headline-grabbing aspect of this transplant, it only forms a small part of the innovative surgical method to keep a patient alive without lungs. The success of this procedure offers hope for other patients deemed too weak for instantaneous transplants.