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In a groundbreaking achievement, a 57-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has received the world’s first fully robotic double lung transplant. The historic surgery was performed at NYU Langone Health in New York City in October by Dr. Stephanie Chang, a leader in the field of lung transplantation. This pioneering procedure marks a significant step forward in the realm of minimally invasive surgery.
Just a month earlier, Dr. Chang made history with a fully robotic single lung transplant, the first of its kind in the United States. According to Dr. Ralph Mosca, chair of cardiothoracic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, this new advancement is “a watershed moment in lung transplantation surgery worldwide and just the beginning of a new era in patient care.”
The surgery utilized the da Vinci Xi robot, a state-of-the-art system designed to perform minimally invasive operations. By making small incisions between the ribs, Dr. Chang and her team were able to carefully remove the damaged lungs and replace them with healthy ones, greatly reducing recovery time and minimizing patient discomfort.
The recipient of this life-saving procedure, Cheryl Mehrkar, was placed on the transplant list on October 18, following months of careful evaluation. Just four days later, she underwent the successful double lung transplant on October 22.
“I was told for a long time that I wasn’t sick enough for a transplant,” said Mehrkar, a volunteer emergency medical technician with the Union Vale Fire Department in Dutchess County, New York. “I’m so grateful to the donor and their family for giving me another chance at life. And I’m so grateful to the doctors and nurses here for giving me hope.”
Mehrkar’s battle with lung disease began in 2010, when she was diagnosed with COPD at the age of 43. Her condition worsened after a severe bout with COVID-19 in 2022. Before her health began to deteriorate, Mehrkar was an avid scuba diver and martial arts enthusiast, even earning a black belt with her husband and running a dojo where she taught karate.
“This transplant is a new lease on life for me,” Mehrkar said. “I look forward to becoming active again, and I appreciate how the transplant team focused on improving my quality of life.”
Dr. Chang, who serves as the surgical director of the lung transplant program at NYU Langone Transplant Institute, performed the double transplant alongside Dr. Travis Geraci and Dr. Eugene Grossi. “It is one of the greatest privileges to be able to help patients return to a healthy quality of life,” Dr. Chang said. “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.”
This successful double lung transplant is a major milestone in the ongoing effort to improve patient care and outcomes in lung transplantation, providing a glimpse into a future where robotic surgery becomes a key player in life-saving medical procedures.
