Chinese doctors complete lung transplant for COVID-19 patient

Chinese doctors on Saturday completed a double-lung transplant surgery on a COVID-19 patient infected with the novel coronavirus, Wuxi People's Hospital in east China's Jiangsu Province said Sunday.

The 5-hour operation was performed by a surgical team led by Chen Jingyu, a leading lung transplant surgeon in China and also vice president of the facility.

The donated lungs came from a brain death donor and were transported by high-speed rail from outside the province.

The male patient, 59, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Jan. 26 and had several negative nucleic acid test results after going through trachea cannula, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and medication, yet suffered irreversible pulmonary disfunction, the hospital said.

"It was a highly risky surgery since all surgeons had to stay in a negative pressure room during the entire operation wearing whole-body protective suits," Chen said, noting that it was a big challenge both physically and psychologically.

The patient is currently in stable condition, with the transplanted lungs oxygenating well, the hospital said.