Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have completed the first fully robotic lung transplant in the U.S. using the da Vinci Xi robotic system at each stage of the operation, making it the third program in the world to successfully perform the procedure robotically from start to finish.

Led by Dr. Stephanie Chang, associate professor of cardiothoracic surgery, the procedure, which involved transplanting the patient’s right lung through small incisions between the ribs, offered a minimally invasive alternative to the traditional open chest surgery.

“This approach requires smaller incisions and aims to reduce pain and speed recovery,” Chang said. She was joined by Dr. Travis Geraci and Dr. Eugene Grossi, both specialists in cardiothoracic surgery.
In 2023, NYU Langone performed 76 lung transplants and was ranked best in the nation for lung survival rates and waitlist times by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

“Being able to continue innovating in the interest of delivering lifesaving organs to our patients is what makes our transplant programs truly unique,” said Dr. Robert Montgomery, the chair of the Department of Surgery, and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute. “The dedication to advancing transplantation is shared across all disciplines and partners of NYU Langone, and seeing patients walk out of here every day with the ability to live a longer life is what motivates each of us.”

This milestone follows international precedents, including the world’s first fully robotic lung transplant at Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona last year and a robot-assisted transplant at Cedars Sinai in 2022.

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