In the field of health, technologies are enabling extraordinary advances, notably robots which now carry out successful autonomous interventions. A surgical team from the NYU Langone health center (New York, United States) has just performed the world's first robotic transplant of two lungs on a 57-year-old adrenaline junkie in severe pain. She was able to breathe fully for the first time in years and rediscover the pleasure of living at a thousand miles an hour. Above all, this operation marks a major advance in robotic surgery and minimally invasive transplantation procedures.
An adrenaline-loving patient stopped by illness
The transplant was performed on October 22, 2024, just four days after the patient, Cheryl Mehrkar, a 57-year-old woman suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)was placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant following several months of evaluation by her medical team.
This woman, who inherited a genetic predisposition to lung diseases, was diagnosed with this illness difficult for patients to bear in 2010, at the age of 43. His condition then changed severely worsened after contracting COVID-19 in 2022. That then weighed heavily on the thrill-seeker who traveled the world as a scuba diving master, became an accomplished motorcyclist by touring the United States on her 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster, and earned her fourth black belt dan in karate with her husband, Shahin. The couple also owned a dojo where she taught with passion before her health forced her to stop.
Now, this volunteer emergency medical technician for a fire station in New York State can add a new feat to her extraordinary journey: she is the first person in the world to receive a robotic two-lung transplant.
A first robotic transplant of two lungs and a major breakthrough
The procedure is largely the result of its director, Dr. Stephanie H. Chang, associate professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and surgical director of the Lung Transplant Program at NYU Langone Transplant Institute. A month earlier, she had already performed the first robotic single lung transplant in the United States. Following this, she also prepared for this new operation with her team for six months by carrying out three robotic transplants of a single organ to perfect the technique and the progress of the procedure.
During this intervention lasting seven hoursthe team transplanted successfully both lungs of the patient using the Da Vinci Xi robotic system, used at each stage. Small incisions were made between the ribs to allow the robot to remove the lungs, prepare the surgical site as well as the heart and airways for implantation, and finally insert the new lungs.
A transplant that brings notable improvements
« Usually we either do a very large incision over the entire chest, i.e. two large incisions to perform the transplant “, explains Dr. Stephanie Chang. “ With the robotic system, we actually introduce four little 1.25 cm arms and then practice a 5 to 6.25 cm incision on the side. This is where we move the lung in and out. » Thanks to this system, patients “ seem feel less pain and recover a little faster after the operation ».
After the operation, the patient was able to quickly leave the hospital and return home on November 20. She further marveled at power ” breathe well » almost immediately. And since then, she said her breathing has completely transformed.
« It is one of the greatest privileges to be able to help patients regain a healthy quality of life “, says Dr. Chang. “ By using these robotic systems, we aim to reduce the impact of this major surgery on patients, limit their postoperative pain and offer them the best possible results.. […] When we think about robotic transplantation, generally speaking, it simply allows us to reduce trauma to the patient and improve visualization », she adds.
One step closer to the future
The team now says it is working to achieve standardize the procedure. Its objective would indeed be to make it more effective and to ensure that it could be easily transmitted to other surgeons. This would in fact make it possible to expand access to this technique for a greater number of patients.
You can find the hospital's press release at this link.
