In a first procedure of its kind in the world, a team of nine doctors in Canada has saved a young mother's life by removing her lungs for six days while she waited for a transplant.

Melissa Benoit arrived at a Toronto hospital in April with a severe lung infection. Benoit, who was born with cystic fibrosis, had just hours to live and thus the doctors had to consider the unprecedented approach.

Dr. Niall Ferguson of the University Health Network told a news conference that they held a very difficult discussion about the unique case because there were a lot of unknowns in doing something which had never been done before.

Benoit had been left fighting off respiratory failure due to a recent bout with influenza, forcing doctors to keep her sedated and on a ventilator. "Her only hope of recovery was a lung transplant," said Ferguson.

Benoit's condition continued to deteriorate because the bacteria in her lungs became resistant to most antibiotics, sending her body into septic shock with her blood pressure dropping and her organs began shutting down, one by one. Thus, the team of doctors took the bold solution to remove both her lungs to eliminate the source of the bacterial infection, the Guardian reported.

The list of unknowns, including the risk of bleeding into the empty chest cavity and whether her blood pressure and oxygen levels could be sustained once her lungs were removed, was long. Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, one of three surgeons who operated on Benoit, said that what helped them was the fact that she had only a few hours before she would die, which was a motivation for them.

Benoit's husband, Chris, thinking of their three-year-old daughter, allowed the doctors to go ahead with the operation.

After removing her lungs, a small artificial lung was connected to Benoit's heart, while other devices oxygenated and circulated her blood. After six days, a donor's lungs became available, and Benoit underwent a successful lung transplant.

Benoit did not believe it when she was told about the surgery that saved her life. "It took me a while to realize what happened. I just couldn't piece it together," she said. "You really come from the brink of death to back living at home. But I'm just so grateful, so happy to be home."