It’s the first time this robotic lung surgery has been completed in the region

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has made history in the Gulf by being the first hospital in the region to complete a robotic lung transplant. Two patients have now successfully undergone this robotic lung surgery in Abu Dhabi, both patients had a condition called, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and secondary pulmonary hypertension, an illness that gradually scars the lungs and makes breathing increasingly difficult.

To support the patients during the operation, the qualified 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.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is a leading centre in regional transplant medicine and 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.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has also performed other robotic surgeries such as a robotic bilateral kidney transplant and the UAE’s first robotic mastectomy. The UAE is constantly making strides when it comes to technology, flying taxis were announced to come to Abu Dhabi in 2025, drones are used for cleaning public transport and sighting the moon for Ramadan, and AI and quantum technology is often used to deal with traffic.

Image: WAM