Doctors have found a clever way to help the lungs of people who smoke. They are calling it a “power wash” for the lungs. The procedure does just what it sounds like it would. It is done to help treat Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis. The condition is common in people who smoke on a regular basis. Doctors hang bags of water on an IV pole while the patient is on an operating table.
An anesthesiologist separates the lungs with a special machine and a tube. About 10 to 20 liters of saline is flushed through the lungs. The patient is asleep, so nothing is felt when the process is being completed. Gravity helps the saline go through the lungs and back out.
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Doctors simply let the saline flow through the lungs in order to clean them of the tar and other chemicals that build up after smoking. At times, the patient’s arm might shake because the process can be rather cold while the saline runs through the lungs. A vest is also wrapped around the patient so that the body shakes, agitating the protein in the lungs that should not be there. The washing liquid will mix with the protein in this manner and help remove it from the body. Most patients don’t require oxygen after the procedure.
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Doctors Invent Way To ‘Power Wash’ Smokers Lungs.. ‘I Feel Like New’
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