SNYU Langone Health surgeons have performed the nation's first fully robotic lung transplant procedure, marking a new milestone in surgical innovation and patient care and making NYU Langone Health just the third program in the world to use a robotic system for lung transplant surgery.
Stephanie H. Chan, MD, Associate Professor Cardiothoracic Surgery A professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and surgical director of the Lung Transplant Program, part of NYU Langone Transplant Institute, Dr. Schneider led the minimally invasive surgery to transplant the man's right lung, using the da Vinci Xi robotic system for each step. Dr. Schneider made a small incision between the ribs on the right side of the chest and used the robotic system to remove the lung, prepare the surgical site for transplant, and implant the new lung. The second lung was transplanted through an incision on the patient's left side.
“This lung transplant technique requires only small incisions in the patient, making it less invasive overall than traditional open-heart surgery,” said Dr. Chang, along with his colleagues in the department, Travis C. Djerassi, assistant professor, and Steven B. Colvin, M.D., Eugene A. Grossi Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery. “The goal is to reduce pain, shorten recovery time, and provide a better hospital stay experience for patients.”
“Our ability to continue to innovate to provide patients with life-saving organs is what makes our transplant program truly unique,” said Robert Montgomery, MD, H. Leon Pachter, MD, professor of surgery and chair of the Transplant Program. Surgeryand director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute. “Our dedication to advancing transplant medicine is shared by all disciplines and partners at NYU Langone, and it is motivating for each of us to see patients walk out of here every day with the ability to live a longer life.”
NYU Langone Transplant Institute performed 76 lung transplants in 2023 and was rated the best in the nation for post-transplant lung survival rates and getting patients off the waiting list the fastest by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, a national quality tracking system overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human 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's possible for our patients,” said Ralph S. Mosca, MD, the Henry H. Arnhold Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and professor of cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Pediatrics“This latest innovation marks a milestone in lung transplant surgery in our country and just the beginning of a new era of patient care.”
Last year, Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron Hospital performed the world's first fully robotic lung transplant. In 2022, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles used a robotic system for the final phase of the transplant and performed the first robot-assisted lung transplant in history. NYU Langone Hospital is the first center in the country to use a robotic system for all phases of a lung transplant.
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