Surgery Planned on TB Patient’s Lungs

Doctors treating a man infected with a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis in Denver said they plan to remove a large section of the man’s lungs.

The surgeons said they plan to remove a portion of damaged tissue approximately the size of a tennis ball from the lungs of Andrew Speaker, who raised fears of spreading the dangerous strain of the disease when he traveled to Europe in May, The Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

They said removing the damaged tissue would deprive bacteria of a fertile breeding ground and increase the effectiveness of antibiotics.

Andrew Speaker is an excellent candidate for surgery, Dr. Charles Daley of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center said in a statement released by the hospital. The infected area of his lung is relatively small and well-contained. He is also young and otherwise healthy.

A specific date for the procedure hasn’t been announced but surgeons said it would take place at some point in July at the University of Colorado Hospital’s Anschutz Medical Campus.