NYU Langone surgeons complete first fully robotic lung transplant in US

Editor's Note

Surgeons at NYU Langone Health used a da Vinci X robotic system throughout an entire lung transplant procedure for the first time in the US and the third time in the world, DotMed reported September 11.

Led by Dr. Stephanie Chang, the surgery offered a fast, minimally invasive alternative to open chest surgery by using small incisions between the ribs to replace the patient’s right lung.  

In recent years, other fully robotic lung transplants have occurred in Barcelona and Los Angeles, DotMed reports. NYU Langone performed 76 lung transplants in 2023 and was ranked best in the nation for lung survival rates and waitlist times by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.