It’s a well-known fact that smoking is deadly, but despite the numerous warnings and evidence provided by doctors and scientists, some individuals continue to smoke.
The images you are about to see, however, might just be the wake-up call needed for those who wish to lead a long and healthy life. Surgeons have shared images of the lungs of a chain smoker who passed away at the young age of 52 due to smoking-related complications. Quitting cigarettes could have significantly extended this person’s life.
While you may have previously come across pictures of tar-blackened lungs, the images of these lungs, taken from a deceased chain smoker who smoked for 30 years, expose the horrifying impact smoking can have on the body.
Healthy lungs are typically pink, but decades of inhaling tobacco smoke turned this individual’s lungs black. Cigarettes clogged their lungs and transformed healthy lung tissue into a cancerous mess.
Surgeons from Wuxi People’s Hospital in Jiangsu, China, removed the lungs from a 52-year-old man who died from multiple lung conditions. A video of the man’s lungs has gone viral online, with viewers expressing horror at the consequences of three decades of smoking. The video has amassed over 25 million views on social media and has been dubbed the “best anti-smoking ad ever.”
The hospital posted the video of the deceased man’s lungs with the caption, “Do you still have the courage to smoke?” While the caption may seem to challenge smokers to defy death and continue their habit, doctors want people to reconsider smoking as a lifestyle choice, as it ultimately leads to a shortened lifespan.
Dr. Chen, the lung transplant surgeon who headed the operation and also serves as the hospital’s vice president, said:
“The patient didn’t undergo a C.T. scan before his death. He was declared brain dead, and his lungs were donated shortly after that. Initial oxygenation index tests were okay, but when we harvested the organs, we realized we wouldn’t be able to use them. We Chinese love smoking. It would be impractical to say that we wouldn’t accept the lungs of all smokers, but there are strict standards.”
Dr. Chen further explained:
“(We accept) lungs from people under sixty years of age who have only recently died, minor infections in the lungs and relatively clean X-rays are also acceptable. If the above conditions are met, we would consider transplanting the lungs.”
Unfortunately, this man’s lungs were in such a dire state that doctors had no chance of using them for a transplant. Given the potential damage cigarette smoke can cause to the human body, quitting smoking as soon as possible is crucial.
Nicotine replacement therapy may be a helpful option for those looking to quit.
WATCH the video below for more details:
Source: AWM
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