Eventually, his lungs, heart, and kidneys started to fail and a double lung transplant became his only chance of survival. After two days breathing through an artificial lung, donor lungs became available and a double lung transplant was performed. “Conventionally, lung transplant is reserved for patients who have chronic conditions like interstitial lung disease or cystic fibrosis,” Dr Bharat said. Using an artificial lung is currently a rare operation and is limited to highly specialised centres with the expertise and resources to carry it out. “For severe lung damage caused by respiratory viruses or infections, even in acute settings, a lung transplant can be lifesaving.”