Woman receives world's first robotic double-lung transplantA 57-year-old woman with COPD has received the world's first fully robotic double lung transplant.
The breakthrough surgery was performed in October at NYU Langone Health in New York City by Dr. Stephanie Chang. Just a month before, Chang performed a fully robotic single lung transplant—the nation's first.
"This latest innovation is a watershed moment in lung transplantation surgery worldwide and just the beginning of a new era in patient care," said Dr. Ralph Mosca, chair of cardiothoracic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in New York City.
Chang and her team use a da Vinci Xi robot to perform the minimally invasive transplants.
They make small incisions between the ribs, then use the robot to remove and replace the damaged lungs.
The groundbreaking double transplant was performed on Oct. 22, four days after patient Cheryl Mehrkar was added to the transplant list after months of careful evaluation.
"For a long time, I was told I wasn't sick enough for a transplant," she recalled in an NYU news release.
"I'm so grateful to the donor and their family for giving me another chance at life," Mehrkar added. "And I'm so grateful to the doctors and nurses here for giving me hope."....................
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-woman-world-robotic-lung-transplant.html
