In a significant development for the region’s healthcare sector, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has performed the Gulf’s first robotic lung transplant. The procedure puts the hospital among a small number of centres worldwide capable of carrying out this complex surgery and reflects progress in organ transplantation in the Middle East.

Two patients underwent this complex surgery, both diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and secondary pulmonary hypertension, a condition that causes progressive lung scarring and severely impacts breathing. The presence of pulmonary hypertension significantly increased the surgical complexity by placing excess strain on the heart and lungs. To ensure stability during the procedures, the medical team employed Veno-Arterial ECMO, a life-support technique that temporarily takes over heart and lung function while the transplant is performed.

The hospital also acknowledged the vital support of the broader healthcare community, including teams from donor hospitals, the National Programme for Organ Donation and Transplantation (HAYAT), the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and the National Centre at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP).

These landmark surgeries underscore the hospital’s emergence as a global referral hub for end-stage lung disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and bronchiectasis, highlighting the Gulf’s growing prominence in medical care.