Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has achieved a historic milestone by performing the Gulf region’s first robotic lung transplants, making it one of only five centers worldwide to successfully complete this advanced procedure. Two patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and secondary pulmonary hypertension have undergone the surgery. These surgeries were quite complex due to pulmonary hypertension, a condition that puts extra strain on the heart and lungs.
Dr. Usman Ahmad, Chair of Thoracic Surgery, performed the complex robotic procedures along with a multi-disciplinary team of experts. To support the patients during the operation, the medical team used Veno-Arterial ECMO, a technique that temporarily takes over the work of the heart and lungs while the damaged lungs are replaced.
The robotic technique offers significant benefits over traditional surgery, including smaller incisions, enhanced visualization, reduced chest trauma, minimal bleeding, and faster recovery times. This approach is particularly valuable for patients with severe frailty.
This achievement positions Abu Dhabi as a global healthcare innovation hub and provides patients in the region access to advanced transplant procedures that previously required travel abroad. The program offers shorter wait times, better organ matching, and outcomes comparable to international standards.
Read more at this link on Gulf Today
