Doctors used double-D breast implants to save a man’s life after he caught a serious case of the flu, according to a new report from People.
Davey Bauer had been healthy before the incident, People reported Tuesday. The 34-year-old worked in landscaping in Missouri and enjoyed skateboarding and snowboarding. However, Bauer told the outlet he vaped for nearly 10 years as it “seemed like a healthier alternative” to smoking.
He came down with the flu in April and his condition quickly got worse, per the outlet. Bauer told People he did not receive a flu shot. Susan Gore, his girlfriend, told the outlet urgent care doctors initially said he had “a little bit of pneumonia.” The next day, Bauer was unable to move, and he ended up in a St. Louis hospital.
While in the hospital, he contracted a strain of Pseudomonas, a bacteria that can be spread in healthcare settings, People reported. The bacteria causes infections that are difficult to treat because of “increasing antibiotic resistance,” according to the CDC.
“I honestly barely remember walking into the ER. Then I woke up out here in Chicago with new lungs,” Bauer told People.
Breast Implants Used to Save Life of Man Who Vaped, Got the Flu, and Needed a Double Lung Transplant (Exclusive) https://t.co/9OIBc94wys
— People (@people) November 8, 2023
Doctors moved Bauer to Chicago’s Northwestern Medicine as “a last ditch effort,” Dr. Ankit Bharat told People. Bharat serves as the hospital’s chief of thoracic surgery and director of the Canning Thoracic Institute. Bauer’s condition worsened and he came close to dying, per People.
The existing medical team treating Bauer told Bharat they considered withdrawing medical care because “nothing further [could] be done,” the outlet reported.
Bharat’s team brainstormed a way to stabilize Bauer’s heart and to help his body fight off the serious infection, per People. The team decided to use breast implants to keep his heart stable.
“We had to get a crash course [in implants],” Bharat told the outlet. “The breast implant is a flashy thing, but to be honest with you, probably from a medical standpoint, was a minor part of the whole thing. Because it was mostly used to just temporarily stabilize the heart.”
The implants stabilized Bauer’s heart as the team of doctors drained all of his blood, recreating a circulatory system with artificial lungs keeping him breathing, per the outlet. The groundbreaking surgery reportedly took place May 26. (RELATED: Australian Mother Says She Was Denied Heart Transplant Because Of COVID-19 Vaccine Status)
“This is the only way we could logically create a solution that may give the patient a fighting chance,” Bharat told the outlet. “It was kind of almost magical to see when we took out all of the old lungs…within a matter of hours, his body started to show signs of healing and recovery.”
Bauer was put on the transplant list, but a different recipient had already accepted new lungs. Due to his condition an agreement was reached, and the organs were redirected to Bauer. The original recipient received another offer two days later, and their transplant was successful, according to People.
“I thought it was hilarious,” Bauer said when he was told double-D implants essentially saved his life, per the outlet.
“I was honestly jealous,” his girlfriend joked to People.
Bauer is now recovering and continues to be treated as an outpatient with therapy and exams on a regular basis, per the outlet.