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a A surgical team at NYU Langone Health performed the world's first fully robotic double lung transplant. This surgery represents a breakthrough in the possibilities of robotic surgery and minimally invasive patient care, making NYU Langone a new leader in robotic transplant surgery worldwide.
Stephanie H. Chan, MD, Associate Professor cardiothoracic surgery in New York University Grossman School of Medicine He was the surgical director of the lung transplant program at New York University Langone Transplant Institute, where he led minimally invasive surgery. Her team used the Da Vinci Xi robotic system at each step to transplant both lungs into a 57-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A small incision was made between the ribs, the lung was removed using a robotic system, the surgical site was prepared for transplantation, and the new lung was transplanted. Both lungs were transplanted using these robotic techniques.
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The transplant was performed on October 22, 2024, just four days after patient Cheryl Melker was placed on the lung transplant list, after months of evaluation by Jake G. Natalini, MD, an assistant professor at the university. . Faculty of Medicine and its members Department of Respiratory/Critical Care/Sleep Medicineand Louis F. Angell, MD, medical director of lung transplantation at New York University Langone Transplant Institute. Dr. Chang was assisted by Travis C. Geraci, MD, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery, Eugene A. Grossi, MD, and Stephen B. Colvin, MD, professor of cardiothoracic surgery.
“what [the donor and his family] What it did for me was give me life,” says Maker.
“I am so grateful to the donor and his family for giving me another chance to live,” Meakar said. “For a long time, I was told I wasn't sick enough to receive a transplant. The team at NYU Langone Health gave me hope because they made my quality of life their top priority. I am very grateful to the doctors and nurses here.”
Melker, who inherited a genetic predisposition to lung disease, was diagnosed with COPD in 2010 at age 43. After battling COVID-19 in 2022, her condition worsened. She has been an active thrill seeker throughout her life, traveling the world as a master scuba diver, becoming an avid motorcyclist, and, with her husband Shahin, earning a black belt in karate. . The couple run a dojo and she had a passion for teaching even before her health deteriorated. After retiring from karate, she became a volunteer emergency medical technician for a local fire department in Dutchess County, New York. She remains active in the sector to serve the community.
“It is one of the greatest privileges to be able to help patients return to a healthy quality of life,” said Dr. Chan. “By using these robotic systems, we aim to reduce the impact of this major surgery on patients, minimize postoperative pain, and provide patients with the best possible outcomes. That couldn't happen here without a talented group of surgeons and a facility dedicated to advancing transplantation.”
Just one month ago, New York University Langone announced that Dr. Chan had performed the nation's first fully robotic single-lung transplant. Today, her team is a world leader in lung transplant surgery.
Breakthrough innovation in transplant surgery
“This latest advancement in robotic surgery speaks to the culture of innovation we have built by bringing together the most talented people in their fields,” said Dr. Robert Montgomery, MD, D-Phil. said H. Leon Pachter, MD, professor of surgery. of surgerydirector of New York University's Langone Transplant Institute. “Our Transplant Institute team is advancing the field to better serve our patients and provide the life-saving care they need with the best patient experience.”
This animation shows how the Da Vinci Xi robotic system is used to remove each lung, prepare the surgical site, and transplant the new lung.
New York University Langone Transplant Institute will perform 76 lung transplants in 2023 and is a national quality tracker overseen by the U.S. Department of State for post-transplant lung survival and quickest patient removal from the waiting list. Received the highest rating in the nation from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Health and welfare services.
“We are grateful to have some of the most talented surgeons in the world who are breaking down barriers and pushing the boundaries of what is possible for our patients,” said Ralph S. Mosca, M.D., director of the Henry H. Arnhold Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. said. of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and Director of the Pediatric Congenital Heart Program, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, New York University Langone Hospital. “This latest innovation marks a turning point in lung transplant surgery worldwide and is just the beginning of a new era in patient care.”
NYU Langone surgeons are international leaders in using robotic technology to manage a wide range of medical conditions, performing more than 2,000 robot-assisted surgeries each year. NYU Langone experts have pioneered the development and innovation of many robotic surgical techniques and continue to invest in new and evolving technologies. As a leader in robotic surgical technology, we train surgeons at hospitals across the country and around the world how to perform the latest robotic-assisted cardiac, bariatric, thoracic, gynecologic, colorectal, urinary, and gastrointestinal surgeries.
NYU Langone Health is a world-class, patient-centered, integrated academic medical center rooted in a culture of excellence in patient care, education, and research. Vizient Inc. has ranked New York University Langone the No. 1 comprehensive academic medical center in the nation for the third consecutive year. US News & World Report Nine of its clinical specialties were recently ranked in the top five in the country. NYU Langone provides comprehensive medical services at six inpatient facilities, the Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 300 outpatient facilities in the New York region and Florida. With revenue of $14 billion this year, the system also includes two medical schools in Manhattan and Long Island and a large research company.
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