Apollo Hospitals successfully performs rare whole lung lavage procedure

Doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, on Thursday announced a successful Whole Lung Lavage (WLL) procedure on a 38-year-old patient suffering from Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP), a medical condition in which fat and protein material builds up in lungs, making it difficult to breathe.

The complex 10-hour procedure, considered the gold standard for selected PAP cases, involved washing both lungs using nearly 30 litres of warm saline to



remove accumulated proteinaceous material that hampers oxygen exchange. 

Whole Lung Lavage is among the technically demanding procedures in pulmonary medicine, requiring precise airway management, advanced anaesthesia, intensive monitoring, and close coordination between multiple teams.

Dr Vijay Kumar Chennamchetty, Lead Interventional Pulmonologist, said the patient showed significant improvement post-procedure.