TOKYO (AP) — Doctors in Japan say they have successfully performed the world’s first transplant of lung tissue from living donors to a patient with severe lung damage from COVID-19.

Kyoto University Hospital says the recipient is recovering after the nearly 11-hour operation. It says her husband and son, who donated parts of their lungs, are also in stable condition.

The university says it was the world’s first transplant of lung tissue from living donors to a person with COVID-19 lung damage.

Transplants from brain-dead donors in Japan are still rare, and living donors are considered a more realistic option for patients.

The university says it hopes the treatment will give hope to patients with severe COVID-19 lung damage.