Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi performs first robotic lung transplant in the Gulf

A few weeks ago, surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi stepped into medical lore. In a Gulf first — and only the fifth time worldwide — they swapped out scarred lungs for healthy ones using nothing but slender robotic arms and sharp human focus.

"At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, we're proud to be global pioneers in robotic surgery, advancing the field of robotic transplantation and bringing new hope to patients in need," said Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber, the hospital's chief executive.

Two people with end-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis can now breathe deeply again — living proof that high-stakes innovation has found a home in the UAE.

How did it work?

Here are the highlights:

• Keyhole access, giant payoff. Instead of cracking the chest wide open, the team deployed a four-armed robot through tiny ports. Those slim incisions cut blood loss, pain, and recovery time.
• A mechanical safety net. Veno-Arterial ECMO, a heart-lung bypass, kept blood rich in oxygen while surgeons worked, shielding organs from the strain of severe pulmonary hypertension.
• Eyes like a hawk. The robot's 3-D camera magnifies tissue, letting Dr. Usman Ahmad — "Performing a robotic-assisted lung transplant requires not just the surgical expertise, but more importantly a fully integrated ecosystem of advanced technology," he said — separate vessels as neatly as a jeweler setting a diamond.
• Team choreography. Anesthetists, perfusionists, and critical-care nurses moved in lockstep, handing off duties as smoothly as dancers in a waltz.

Why does it matter?

This is quite an important achievement - here's why:

• Hope for the frail. Patients too delicate for a traditional sternotomy now have a shot at new lungs.
• Regional self-reliance. Instead of boarding a plane to Europe or the U.S., Gulf residents can stay close to family while receiving frontier care.
• Blazing a trail. The hospital has logged more than 60 lung transplants since reviving its program in 2022, setting a regional benchmark. "What sets Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Lung Transplant Program apart is our ability to offer timely, high-quality care ... with success rates matching international benchmarks," observed Dr. Fadi Hamed.
• Ripple effect. Each flawless stitch raises the bar for neighboring centers, nudging policy-makers to fund organ-donation drives and high-tech theaters.

The context

Organ donation in the UAE rests on an intricate web of generosity and governance. Donor families, the national HAYAT program, and regulators at the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi and MOHAP keep the pipeline flowing. Their cooperation turns tragedy into life, one precious graft at a time. Against that backdrop, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has evolved into a referral magnet for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and other stubborn lung ailments.

As Dr. Ahmad put it, the recent procedures were "a high-stakes, high-reward scenario," but they also signaled something larger: the Gulf's sprint toward cutting-edge, compassionate care — no passport required.