NYU Langone Health’s surgical team has achieved a world-first by performing a fully robotic double lung transplant using the Da Vinci Xi system.

The procedure was led by NYU Langone Transplant Institute Lung Transplant Program surgical director Dr Stephanie Chang.

Chang said: “It is one of the greatest privileges to be able to help patients return to a healthy quality of life.

“By using these robotic systems, we aim to reduce the impact this major surgery has 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.”

Cheryl Mehrkar, a 57-year-old woman suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), received both lungs using the Da Vinci Xi robotic system.

The robotic technology enabled the surgical team to make small incisions between the ribs, remove the diseased lung, prepare the site for the new lung, and implant it with precision.

The patient underwent the transplant only four days after being placed on the lung transplant list, following an extensive evaluation period.

NYU Langone Transplant Institute director Robert Montgomery 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.”

In 2023, 76 lung transplants were successfully performed by the NYU Langone Transplant Institute.

NYU Langone's surgeons conduct over 2,000 robotic-assisted surgeries annually.

With a network that includes six inpatient locations, the Perlmutter Cancer Center, and over 300 outpatient facilities in New York and Florida, NYU Langone offers a range of medical services.

The healthcare system also has two medical schools, located in Manhattan and Long Island.