ACS Fellow Leads World’s First Fully Robotic Double Lung Transplant

Cardiothoracic surgeon Stephanie H. Chang, MD, FACS, led the surgical team that performed the world’s first fully robotic double lung transplant, representing a breakthrough for minimally invasive and robotic transplant surgery.

The successful operation in NYU Langone Health’s Transplant Institute in New York City was in late October. The 57-year-old patient, who was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder in 2010, remains in good health. Dr. Chang is surgical director for the Transplant Institute, as well as an associate professor of surgery at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Chang was assisted by Fellow and cardiac surgeon Eugene A. Grossi, MD, FACS, the Stephen B. Colvin, MD Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, among others.

The minimally invasive, fully robotic procedure allowed Dr. Chang and her team to remove the lung, prepare the surgical site for implantation, and implant both new lungs.

Just a month prior, Dr. Chang also led the team in the nation’s first fully robotic single lung transplant.

“It is one of the greatest privileges to be able to help patients return to a healthy quality of life,” said Dr. Chang in the NYU Langone news release. “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.”