CHICAGO (KMOV) – When De Soto native David “Davey” Bauer determined to stop smoking after greater than a decade, he thought vaping could be a safer, more healthy various.

“Vaping felt higher, and I assumed it was the more healthy various, however in all honesty, I discovered it extra addicting than cigarettes,” stated Bauer.

In April, Bauer found how far-reaching his choices could have been.

A bout of influenza developed into an antibiotic-resistant lung an infection. Bauer’s situation worsened to the purpose he was positioned on a tool which did the work of his coronary heart and lungs, however a uncommon double-lung transplant was his solely possibility for survival.

Rade Tomic, MD, pulmonologist and medical director of the Northwestern Medication Canning Thoracic Institute Lung Transplant Program, stated Bauer’s lungs have been so closely contaminated they began to liquify.

“In case you checked out his X-ray, there was nothing left – the lungs have been utterly full of puss,” Tomic stated. “After we obtained a name from Davey’s medical workforce in St. Louis, we thought we may assist him, however it was additionally very clear he wouldn’t survive the transplant in his present situation.”

Tomic stated Bauer wanted to clear the an infection earlier than a transplant may very well be carried out. The one was to try this was to take away each lungs.

“This was unchartered territory for us, however our workforce knew if we couldn’t assist Davey, nobody else may,” Tomic stated.

Surgeons got here up with a method to take away Bauer’s lungs and fasten a man-made lung to maintain his blood flowing. Nonetheless, with each lungs eliminated physicians needed to discover a approach to hold his coronary heart from collapsing into his chest cavity.

Physicians have been capable of give you an answer, however not what one would possibly anticipate. The reply to conserving Bauer’s coronary heart from collapsing was breast implants.

Ankit Bharat, MD, chief of thoracic surgical procedure and director of the Canning Thoracic Institute stated he by no means imagined a beauty implant may assist save lives. The expertise used to assist save Bauer may within the years forward be utilized to different circumstances.

“One in every of our plastic surgeons was very gracious to present us a rapid-fire course on the different sorts, sizes and shapes of breast implants, so we picked out a pair choices and a few of them have been simpler than others to mildew inside Davey’s chest, with the DD possibility being the very best match,” Bharat stated. “I by no means imagined we’d be utilizing DD breast implants to assist bridge a affected person to lung transplantation, however our workforce is understood for taking over probably the most tough circumstances and pondering outdoors the field to save lots of lives.”

After the process on Could 26, Bauer’s physique started clearing the an infection. The next day, a donor was situated, the breast implants have been eliminated, and the transplant was deemed a hit. After a number of months in intensive care, in late September he was discharged and started rehabilitative remedy.

He’s additionally now a non-smoker and a non-vaper.

Bauer stated he was grateful to be alive and thanked the workforce at Northwestern Medication, in addition to his household and his girlfriend for making that occur.

“Whereas we don’t have definitive methods of proving my years of vaping brought about my medical situation, docs do know for a indisputable fact that vaping causes lung damage,” Bauer stated. “If I may return in time, I by no means would have picked up a cigarette or vape pen, and I hope my story may also help encourage others to stop, as a result of I wouldn’t want this tough journey on anybody.”

Being the primary Northwestern Medication double lung transplant utilizing breast implants, Bauer has additionally taken on a brand new nickname – “DD Davey.”

“I plan to get a t-shirt made that claims ‘DD Davey’ on it and alter all my gaming profiles,” he stated. “However in all seriousness, I’m so proud to be the primary Northwestern Medication affected person to endure this progressive process, and I hope this medical first paves the way in which for extra critically ailing sufferers to obtain lung transplants within the close to future.”