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By: Admin
Chennai Man Spends 109 Days On ECMO, Ventilator, Recovers Without Lung Transplant
In a rare case, a Chennai man diagnosed with COVID-19 and subsequent lung complications spent about
109 days on ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) and ventilator support and recovered without needing
a lung transplant, according to the city hospital that treated him.
Mudijja, 56, was discharged from the hospital in good health. "He became a living miracle, as no one in the
country had ever recovered without a lung transplant after being on ECMO for more than 9 weeks. Furthermore,
even after 9 weeks of ECMO support, Mr Mudijja did not require a lung transplant as a result of the hospital's
treatment and care "Rela Hospital, a multi-specialty quaternary care facility in Chrompet, claimed responsibility.
Mudijja developed breathing difficulties after testing positive for COVID-19 at the end of April and was referred
to Rela Hospital. Prior to his admission to Rela Hospital, a CT scan revealed moderate COVID-19 pneumonia.
When he was transferred to the hospital, his oxygen saturation level was 92 percent in room air. His condition
worsened, and he needed 10 litres of oxygen per minute. Dr. C Arumugam, senior consultant, heart and lung
transplant surgeon, and his heart and lung team decided to place him on ECMO. Despite the fact that progress
was slow during the first 4-5 weeks, the hospital said it would continue the medication.
He told reporters that it had given critical patients a better chance of survival and return to normal life.
"It was an incredible outcome for the patient and his family," he continued.
Mudijja began to improve after nearly 50 days on ECMO, with improved lung performance. According to
Dr. C Arumugam, the clinical team decided to proceed with the treatment plan but without a transplant.
"The CT scan on the 54th day of his ECMO support revealed few areas of resolution, so we gradually reduced the
ECMO support. After 62 days on ECMO, the patient was taken off completely." "We were witness to a miracle right
in front of our eyes. We kept him on minimal ventilator support with tracheotomy for two weeks more before
weaning him off the ventilator on July 29, 2021 "Dr. Arumugam elaborated. The patient was soon forced to sit,
walk, and take regular normal feeds.
"After being hooked up to an artificial lung ECMO for more than 60 days, Mr Mudijja is the only patient in the
country to recover without a lung transplant," Dr Arumugam said.
With the public still not fully vaccinated and fears of a third Coronavirus wave, Prof Rela believes that the
ECMO machine will be a critical tool on which the healthcare community will rely in these uncertain times for
the treatment of other life-threatening illnesses.
Meanwhile, MGM Healthcare, a super-specialty hospital, announced the successful treatment of a 32-year-old male
COVID-infected patient who was on ECMO (a procedure that oxygenates a patient's blood outside the body) support
for 72 days, making him the country's longest ECMO COVID-19 survivor.
MGM Healthcare, which has one of the most comprehensive ECMO programmes in the country, has treated over
200 patients on ECMO during COVID times with lung transplantation as needed. Dr. KR Balakrishnan,
Chairman-Cardiac Sciences Director, Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support,
MGM Healthcare, stated in a release that the patient from Chennai became critically ill on May 18 after
contracting COVID-19 and was treated at another local hospital.
His lungs were severely damaged, and he suffered from a variety of other health issues as a result of the
coronavirus, including ENT, bleeding, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and seizure episodes. During
this time, the patient went into cardiac arrest. According to him, the patient was placed on ECMO in the first
week of June and underwent tracheostomy in the second week of June to stabilise his health.
The patient was recently discharged. The hospital also stated that two young patients have recovered completely
after being on ECMO support for more than 62 days and have recently been discharged.
