DESOTO, Mo. — A De Soto, Missouri, man has a second chance at life thanks in part to a groundbreaking procedure that temporarily inserted breast implants into his body.
The technique was developed by doctors at the Northwestern School of Medicine, which offers cutting-edge treatments for patients with terminal illnesses.
Like millions of Americans, David Bauer started vaping at just 21 years old.
“I thought it would be a safer alternative,” David Bauer said. “In hindsight, it seems like I should’ve quit sooner.”
In his 34 years, Bauer had never been seriously sick until an April trip to a St. Louis area urgent care.
“They were like he’s got the flu and a little bit of pneumonia in his lungs,” Susan Gore said. “Here’s a Z-pack. The next day he couldn’t walk.”
David was put on a ventilator at a local hospital the next day.
“David’s lungs were heavily infected,” Dr. Rade Tomic said. “They started to liquefy. When you look at the chest x-ray there was nothing there.”
In an effort to save his life, Bauer was transferred to Northwestern, where he was put on an artificial lung.
“The only way to resolve the infection was taking the lungs out,” Tomic said. “There was no other way. This was uncharted territory for us.”
“We felt like with the lungs taken out we needed something to support his heart,” Dr. Ankit Bharat said. "The DD breast implants seemed to be the perfect fit, and frankly, they were the biggest we could get.”
“This was his only shot,” Gore said. “I was all for it.”
Following the surgery, Northwestern doctors admitted they were surprised by David’s rapid recovery.
“I feel so blessed,” Bauer said. “It’s incredible I got a second chance at life.”
While he still faces a long road to recovery Bauer is now using his story to warn people around the world about the dangers of vaping.
“Think about what you’re doing,” Bauer said.
“Vaping is very bad for your lungs,” Tomic said.
“It’s not good to inhale anything in your lungs other than oxygen,” Bauer said.
Bauer has temporarily relocated to Chicago where he will be monitored by Northwestern doctors for the next year.
The thing he says he will miss most about St. Louis is watching the St. Louis Cardinals play baseball.