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