The girl who recieved adult lungs as an exception to the "under 12" rule is recovering from another procedure.
Sarah Murnaghan had a breathing tube surgically placed in her throat on Friday, according to her mother's Facebook, philly.com reported.
Sarah had her second lung transplant on June 15 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia after the first one failed.
The operation, known as a tracheotomy, was performed to help the 10-year-old get off a long-term ventilator.
Sarah is also being treated for pneumonia, her transplanted organs had been previously infected with the illness but she did not have time to wait for a healthier option, ABC News reported.
Janet Murnaghan, Sarah's mother, said the girl was "out of surgery and resting comfortably."
"I am relieved that it is over, and it is a joy to see my baby's face again without tape and tubes!" She said, according to philly.com.
A tracheotomy is when a doctor cuts an opening in the neck and inserts a tube into the windpipe or trachea.
Gerard Criner, a pulmonologist who directs the Temple Lung Center and who does not oversee Sarah's care, said the shorter wider tube being used in this case has multiple advantages.
The size of the tube will make it easier for her to breath; it also has less of a chance of damaging vocal cords and is much easier to clean. Medical experts hope the procedure will help Sarah transition away from the breathing machine more easily.
The breathing tube is only planned to be used temporarily.
Sarah suffers from cystic fibrosis. Her parents fought to change the "under 12 rule," which kept children from getting adult lungs unless there was nobody else waiting for them, ABC News reported.
Sarah's case was so severe at the time she most likely would have died had lungs not been made available. A judge issued a restraining order to allow Sarah to receive adult lungs.
The Organ Transplantation and Procurement Network chose not to change the "under 12" policy, but will allow exceptions to the rule in the future.
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