Doctors at NEIGRIHMS perform rare procedure to treat Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis

Shillong: Doctors at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) here in Meghalaya have performed a ''rare procedure'' on a patient suffering from a very rare lung disorder, an official said on Friday. 

The patient, a young adult male, was suffering from “progressively worsening breathlessness for over 8 months,” and underwent treatment outside the state as a case of Interstitial Lung Disease, but got no relief.

Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis is a rare respiratory disorder with an incidence of only 6.87 per million population. It is caused by production of an abnormally high amount of a protective lung protein (surfactant lipoprotein) leading to impaired exchange of gases and difficulty in breathing.

“The treatment of Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis involves a technique called Whole Lung Lavage, in which the lungs are completely filled with saline and then washed out to remove the excess protein,” NEIGRIHMS said in a statement.

During the rare procedure as much as 7 litres of saline was used to wash each lung. Following the successful treatment, the patient showed near immediate improvement of his oxygen levels. The patient has now been discharged and is on follow-up treatment.

“This is a major breakthrough for the treatment of Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis in the NE region. The successful performance of this procedure at NEIGRIHMS will now make it possible for more patients with this rare disease to receive the treatment they need,” the statement read. 

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that Kauvery Main Hospital Alwarpet, a leading multi-speciality healthcare chain in Tamil Nadu announced its successful robotic kidney transplant performed on a man aged 24.