Doctors wash woman’s lungs with salt water to treat a rare disease
Protein deposits can be cleared by a very complex procedure that consists of a whole lung wash (WLL) in which the lung is also washed.
Nagpur: A 65-year-old woman from Nagpur was diagnosed with a very rare lung disorder, primary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). It affects about 1 person in a lakh people worldwide and is very rare in India as well. In addition, in primary alveolar proteinosis, the protein also accumulates inside the lungs causing a significant reduction in oxygen exchange.
Protein deposits can be cleared by a very complex procedure that consists of a whole lung wash (WLL) in which the lung is also washed. Interventional Pulmonologist Dr Sameer Arbat has also recently done WLL on both the lungs of the woman at Wockhardt Hospital.
The targeted lung is also connected to a blood-water circuit and the patient’s lungs are filled with about a liter of salt. The second lung is also connected to the ventilator. And along with this, physiotherapists do hard chest beats to loosen the proteins in the lungs as well. The lungs are also filled and emptied until the returning fluid is completely clear.
Dr. Sameer Arbat also said that after 10 cycles of saline instillation and drainage, the left lung had been washed with about 8 liters of saline, and the right lung with 8.8 liters of saline.
Procedure has been successful without any adverse events
“Due to the rarity of the disease and the lack of randomized trials, there are no specific guidelines for the technique for performing WLL. Thanks to our team of experienced doctors, we can perform this procedure to cleanse the lungs and clear most of the protein deposits. Over the course of eight procedures, we have refined and modified the technology for better results.” Dr. Sameer Arbat said.
PAP is a lung condition caused by a buildup of proteins, fats, and other substances (collectively called surfactants) in the alveoli of the lungs, called alveoli. The alveoli are also the part of the lungs that contain air. This is where the exchange of gases between the lungs and the blood takes place.
The procedure has also been completely successful without any adverse events and according to the team of doctors, the patient has been discharged with very significant improvement in radiological and clinical condition.
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