{"id":128219,"date":"2025-08-19T13:06:41","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T12:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/?p=128219"},"modified":"2025-09-11T16:35:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T15:35:51","slug":"cleveland-clinic-abu-dhabi-performs-first-robotic-lung-transplant-in-the-gulf-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/2025\/08\/19\/cleveland-clinic-abu-dhabi-performs-first-robotic-lung-transplant-in-the-gulf-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi performs first robotic lung transplant in the Gulf region"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is one of the few hospitals worldwide to have performed robotic lung transplant surgery.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has made history by performing the Gulf region\u2019s first-ever robotic lung transplant, making it one of only five centres worldwide to have completed this surgery. With this landmark complex procedure, two patients have now successfully undergone robotic lung transplants, marking a major milestone in the region\u2019s advanced surgical and organ transplant capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both patients had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as well as secondary pulmonary hypertension, a progressive condition that gradually scars the lungs and makes breathing increasingly difficult. Dr Usman Ahmad, Chair of Thoracic Surgery, performed the complex robotic procedures along with a multi-disciplinary team of experts, including Drs Yusuf Bayrak, Andres Obeso, Binu Esaw, Arun Kumar, and pulmonary experts Drs Fadi Hamed, Said Isse and Miriam Mihalechkova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These surgeries were particularly complex due to pulmonary hypertension, a condition that places extra strain on the heart and lungs. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These life-saving surgeries would not have been possible without the extraordinary generosity of organ donor families, whose selfless gifts make such transplants possible. The hospital also acknowledges the critical role played by healthcare professionals from donor hospitals, the National Programme for Organ Donation and Transplantation \u2013 HAYAT, the Department of Health \u2013 Abu Dhabi, and the National Centre at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP). Their collective efforts form the foundation of the UAE\u2019s organ donation and transplantation ecosystem and are vital to every success in this field. Recognising their contributions honours the spirit of co-operation, compassion and national progress that make these achievements possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Georges-Pascal Haber, Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said: \u201cAt Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, we\u2019re proud to be global pioneers in robotic surgery, advancing the field of robotic transplantation and bringing new hope to patients in need. Being one of only a handful of centres in the world capable of performing these procedures reflects the exceptional skill, talent, and world-class expertise we have at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. It also reinforces Abu Dhabi\u2019s position as a global hub for healthcare innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robotic-assisted surgery is rarely used in lung transplantation due to its complexity, however the surgical team\u2019s proven proficiency in performing advanced robotic procedures made it a viable option in these cases. Their expertise enabled them to carry out the transplant through smaller incisions, enhancing surgical precision, reducing recovery time and minimising pain and complications, even in such high-risk cases. This minimally invasive procedure represents the next generation of thoracic surgery, offering hope to patients who may be considered too frail for traditional open surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Usman Ahmad, Division Chair, Thoracic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said: \u201cPerforming a robotic-assisted lung transplant requires not just the surgical expertise, but more importantly a fully integrated ecosystem of advanced technology, expert anaesthesia support, and meticulous perfusion management. In these cases, the robotic approach was chosen due to its minimally invasive nature, which can be particularly beneficial for patients with severe frailty. By using smaller incisions and offering enhanced visualisation, the robotic platform allowed us to reduce trauma to the chest, minimise bleeding, and accelerate recovery. This was one of the most complex operations we\u2019ve ever undertaken, a high-stakes, high-reward scenario and it stands as a profound achievement not only for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, but for the UAE in its evolution in complex surgical care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The success of these procedures was made possible by a seamlessly co-ordinated, multidisciplinary effort that extended well beyond the operating room. From pre-surgical planning to post-transplant care, teams across surgery, anaesthesia and critical care worked together to ensure the best possible outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on that, Dr Fadi Hamed, Staff Physician, Critical Care, Integrated Hospital Care Institute, said: \u201cWhat sets Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi\u2019s Lung Transplant Programme apart is our ability to offer timely, high-quality care in a region where such advanced procedures were once considered out of reach, with success rates matching international benchmarks. Our patients benefit from significantly shorter wait times, access to size-matched donor organs through our integrated transplant network, and minimal ischaemic time, which directly improves outcomes. In addition, our dedicated lung transplant and critical care teams, many of whom have undergone specialised training, work in perfect synergy to ensure patients receive the most cutting-edge, personalised care available. This level of co-ordination and innovation has truly positioned us as a regional leader in lung transplantation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further solidifying its leadership in regional transplant medicine, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has surpassed a significant milestone this year, completing over 60 lung transplants since the relaunch of the programme in 2022, establishing itself as the most advanced and active centre of its kind in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These cases exemplify the programme\u2019s potential and underscore Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi\u2019s emergence as a global referral hub for patients with end-stage lung disease, including complex conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Interstitial Lung Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Pulmonary Hypertension and Bronchiectasis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is one of the few hospitals worldwide to have performed robotic lung transplant surgery. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has made history by performing the Gulf region\u2019s first-ever robotic lung transplant, making it one of only five centres worldwide to have completed this surgery. With this landmark complex procedure, two patients have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":128220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[879,93,15994,13,79],"tags":[20412,908,20409,20413,20410,2969,20411,184],"class_list":["post-128219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare","category-main-story-newsletter","category-middle-east","category-top-stories","category-used","tag-cleveland-clinic-abu-dhabi","tag-digital-transformation","tag-healthcare-innovation","tag-lung-transplant","tag-organ-donation","tag-robotic-surgery","tag-thoracic-surgery","tag-uae"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128219"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131520,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128219\/revisions\/131520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}