Man Lives After Heart Stops for 40 Hours

Hangzhou: A 40-year-old man in China has survived after his heart reportedly stopped beating for nearly 40 hours, in a case doctors described as a medical miracle.

The case was revealed by emergency physician Lu Xiao from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, who shared details on social media.

According to Dr Lu, the patient suffered cardiac arrest and did not regain a heartbeat despite multiple electric defibrillation attempts. Doctors then placed him on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an advanced life-support system that temporarily replaces heart and lung function.

ECMO pumps blood outside the body, adds oxygen, removes carbon dioxide, and returns it to the patient, allowing damaged organs time to recover.

Doctors said the man remained on ECMO support for around 10 days after his heartbeat returned. After nearly 20 days of treatment, he reportedly walked out of hospital on his own and suffered no major complications.

Medical staff said managing the treatment required constant monitoring due to the risk of dangerous blood clots or severe bleeding, both known complications of ECMO.

The case sparked widespread discussion online, with many praising medical advances and the persistence of hospital staff.

ECMO treatment in China can reportedly cost around 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) to begin, with daily expenses exceeding 10,000 yuan, often not fully covered by insurance.