Woman gets first double lung transplant done by robot

Cheryl Mehrkar was the recipient of the world’s first fully robotic double lung transplant on 22 October at NYU Langone Health Center in Manhattan.

Mehrkar, who is a medic, had suffered with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for a decade that became more severe when she experienced a bout of Covid. She had spent years researching for a solution before becoming eligible for this procedure.

The technique builds on minimally invasive surgeries and aims to reduce hospital stays as well as speed up recovery periods.

Almost a month after the surgery, Mehrkar is now days from being released from hospital.

Video edited by Ottilie Mitchell