A team in the US has achieved a global first: a fully robotic double lung transplant.
Using the Da Vinci Xi robotic system, a team at NYU Langone Health successfully transplanted both lungs into a 57-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The minimally invasive approach involved small incisions between the ribs, enabling robotic assistance for lung removal, site preparation, and implantation.
The procedure was performed in October, just four days after patient Cheryl Mehrkar was listed for transplant.
Dr Stephanie H. Chang, associate professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and surgical director of the Lung Transplant Program, led the procedure.
It followed months of thorough evaluation by Dr Jake G Natalini, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine specialist, and Dr Luis F. Angel, medical director of lung transplantation.
Dr Chang’s team included Dr Travis C Geraci and Dr Eugene A Grossi, who collaborated to deliver a seamless surgical outcome.
Cheryl, diagnosed with COPD at age 43, faced worsening health after contracting COVID-19 in 2022.
She said: ‘I’m so grateful to the donor and their family for giving me another chance at life. For a long time, I was told I wasn’t sick enough for a transplant. The team at NYU Langone Health centred my quality of life as a priority, and I’m so grateful to the doctors and nurses here for giving me hope.’
Dr Chang said: ‘It is one of the greatest privileges to help patients return to a healthy quality of life. Using these robotic systems, we aim to reduce major surgery’s impact on patients, limit their postoperative pain, and give them the best possible outcome. It couldn’t happen here without a talented group of surgeons and an institution dedicated to moving transplantation forward.’
This success follows another landmark achievement just weeks earlier when Dr Chang performed the nation’s first fully robotic single lung transplant.
Dr Robert Montgomery, chair of the Department of Surgery and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, said: ‘This latest breakthrough in robotic surgery speaks to the culture of innovation we’ve built by bringing the most talented people in their fields together. Our Transplant Institute team pushes the field forward to better serve our patients and deliver the lifesaving care they need with the best patient experience.’
Dr Ralph S. Mosca, professor and chair of cardiothoracic surgery, added: ‘This latest innovation is a watershed moment in lung transplantation surgery worldwide and just the beginning of a new era in patient care.’
With over 2,000 robot-assisted surgeries performed annually, NYU Langone’s surgeons are globally recognised for advancing robotic techniques in thoracic, cardiac, bariatric, and other specialties.
Credit: NYU Langone Staff
