Photo: Screenshot from a Weibo post by Lu Xiao, deputy chief physician of the emergency department at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine

A 40-year-old man miraculously survived after his heart stopped beating for two days, thanks to ECMO support and meticulous treatment by the medical team in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, Dahe Daily reported on Tuesday. A netizen commented that "Though his heartbeat was suspended for two days, the hope of life never faded. Gratitude to modern medicine and medical staff for their relentless perseverance!"

The story caught attention on the internet after Lu Xiao, deputy chief physician of the emergency department at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, posted on Weibo on Monday: "A patient with no heartbeat for two days, supported on ECMO, has finally been discharged on foot after our treatment," per the report. "This may well be the driving force behind our journey forward," Lu wrote.

Lu said that the middle-aged man was admitted to a local hospital with chest tightness and shortness of breath, before suffering sudden cardiac and respiratory arrest. He was diagnosed with fulminant myocarditis. The patient had previously had a cold, indicating a possible viral infection.

The physician recalled that the patient suffered persistent ventricular fibrillation upon arrival, meaning he had no effective heartbeat. Nearly 10 rounds of defibrillation failed to restore his heart rhythm, and machines were used to maintain his blood pressure. 

"The cardiology team also implanted an intra-aortic balloon pump to boost cardiac output and prevent intracardiac thrombosis—without a functioning heartbeat, blood clots can form rapidly, which would have been fatal," Lu said, adding that for more than 40 hours, the patient had virtually no independent heartbeat, clinging to life while relying on ECMO and round-the-clock care from the medical team.

After more than 40 hours, his cardiac function gradually recovered, and his heart rhythm returned to normal. ECMO support was maintained for another 10 days before being safely removed, and the patient was transferred to the cardiology ward for further treatment, Lu said.

Some 20 days later, he was fully conscious with no significant lasting effects and walked out of the hospital unaided. His family later presented a silk banner to the hospital to express their gratitude.

"The patient was extremely lucky. But in emergency medicine on the front lines of life and death, not everyone is blessed with such a miracle. Every successful rescue is the combined result of medical expertise, relentless effort, and even a little bit of luck," Lu said.

Global Times