SYSTEMWIDE THORACIC & LUNG HEALTH LEADERSHIP
Leadership in Thoracic Surgery
& Robotic Airway Care
Richard S. Lazzaro, MD, FACS, serves as Chief of Thoracic Surgery for RWJBarnabas Health and System Service Line Leader for Lung Health. His work brings together comprehensive thoracic surgical care, multidisciplinary program leadership, research, education, and innovation in tracheobronchomalacia, excessive dynamic airway collapse, and robotic tracheobronchoplasty.
Care is multidisciplinary, guideline-based, individualized, and focused on striving to achieve the best possible outcomes for every patient.
COMPREHENSIVE THORACIC SURGICAL SERVICES
Comprehensive Thoracic Care. The Right Expertise for Every Patient.
We provide comprehensive thoracic surgical services through a multidisciplinary, guideline-based, and individualized approach. Our teams are focused on striving to achieve the best possible outcomes while helping each patient understand the benefits, alternatives, and risks of treatment.
Lung & Thoracic Oncology
Lung cancer, pulmonary nodules, mediastinal tumors, second opinions, and minimally invasive surgical treatment.
Robotic Airway Stabilization
Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty - A minimally invasive approach to stabilizing weakened central airways in carefully selected patients with severe symptomatic airway collapse.
Esophageal & Foregut Surgery
Esophageal cancer, achalasia, hiatal and paraesophageal hernias, reflux-related disease, and complex benign foregut conditions.
Chest Wall & Thoracic Outlet Surgery
Care for pectus deformities, chest wall conditions and tumors, and thoracic outlet syndrome, including first-rib surgery when appropriate.
Airway & Tracheobronchial Surgery
Evaluation and treatment of tracheobronchomalacia, excessive dynamic airway collapse, airway stenosis, and complex tracheal or bronchial disorders.
Advanced Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery
Robotic and thoracoscopic approaches individualized to each patient’s disease, anatomy, health, and treatment goals.
TRACHEOBRONCHOMALACIA • ECAC • ROBOTIC TRACHEOBRONCHOPLASTY
Leadership & Innovation in Central Airway Surgery
Richard S. Lazzaro, MD, FACS has helped advance the evaluation and surgical treatment of severe tracheobronchomalacia and excessive dynamic airway collapse through multidisciplinary program development, clinical research, surgical education, and the evolution of minimally invasive robotic tracheobronchoplasty.
His work has included early robotic airway reconstruction, the first published series of minimally invasive robot-assisted tracheobronchoplasty for severe tracheobronchomalacia, subsequent assessment of quality-of-life and pulmonary-function outcomes, and continued refinement and teaching of the robotic operative technique.
01 Multidisciplinary Evaluation
Developing structured evaluation of symptoms, dynamic airway imaging, pulmonary physiology, bronchoscopy, comorbid conditions, and patient goals.
02 Robotic Airway Innovation
Advancing minimally invasive robotic techniques for central-airway stabilization and tracheobronchoplasty in carefully selected patients.
03 Outcomes & Evidence
Publishing clinical experience addressing feasibility, quality of life, pulmonary function, diagnostic imaging, patient selection, and operative technique.
04 Education & Program Development
Teaching TBM, ECAC, robotic airway surgery, and program development through national and international scientific meetings, workshops, grand rounds, and invited lectures.
SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED MILESTONES
2015 — Robotically Assisted Bilateral Bronchoplasty for Tracheobronchomalacia — Innovations
2019 — First series of minimally invasive, robot-assisted tracheobronchoplasty with mesh for severe tracheobronchomalacia — Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
2021 — Robotic-assisted tracheobronchoplasty: Quality of life and pulmonary function assessment on intermediate follow-up — Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
2023 — Just breathe: 12-step robotic tracheobronchoplasty — JTCVS Techniques
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Teaching, Sharing & Advancing the Field
Dr. Lazzaro has presented on tracheobronchomalacia, excessive dynamic airway collapse, airway surgery, and robotic tracheobronchoplasty at national and international scientific meetings, workshops, grand rounds, and invited educational programs.
2023
TBM Revisited: A Multidisciplinary Approach — Thoracic Surgery: Tracheobronchoplasty
American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology Annual Meeting, Chicago
2023
Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty: How I Do It
Mayo Clinic Robotics and Advanced Surgical Technologies, Orlando
2022
How I Do It — Tracheobronchoplasty
Thoracic Robotic Surgery Postgraduate Course, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein
2021
How to Make a Difference Building a TBM Program — The Lessons I Learned
International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Re-Imagined Scientific Meeting
2019
How I Do It: Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty for Tracheobronchomalacia
UPMC Lung and Mediastinal Oncology Course, Pittsburgh
2014
Robotically Assisted Bilateral Bronchoplasty for Tracheobronchomalacia
International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery
COMPLETE TBM, ECAC & ROBOTIC AIRWAY PRESENTATION RECORD 2023 August 2023 TBM Revisited: A Multidisciplinary Approach — Thoracic Surgery: Tracheobronchoplasty American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology Annual Meeting Chicago, Illinois May 2023 Discussant: Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty — Single-Patch Technique With Running Suture 103rd American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting Los Angeles, California May 2023 Moderator: Innovations in Tracheal Surgery 103rd American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting Los Angeles, California April 2023 Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty: How I Do It Mayo Clinic Robotics and Advanced Surgical Technologies Orlando, Florida 2022 October 2022 Robotic Tracheobronchial Surgery Duke 15th Annual Masters Conference: Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Orlando, Florida May 2022 Improved Postoperative Lung Function in Patients With Moderate to Severe Airway Obstruction After Robotic-Assisted Thoracoscopic Tracheobronchoplasty 102nd American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts May 2022 Discussant: Preoperative Workup of Patients With Expiratory Central Airway Collapse — Does the Stent Evaluation Serve a Role? 102nd American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts April 2022 How I Do It — Tracheobronchoplasty Thoracic Robotic Surgery Postgraduate Course Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein Virtual 2021 June 2021 Thoracic Video Session — Essentials for Better Understanding Tracheoplasty for TBM International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Re-Imagined Scientific Meeting Virtual June 2021 How to Make a Difference Building a TBM Program — The Lessons I Learned International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Re-Imagined Scientific Meeting Virtual January 2021 Robotic Airway Surgery Controversies in Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery: A Panel Discussion by International Experts Editorial Office of Mini-invasive Surgery Virtual 2019 October 2019 Robotic Lobectomy / TBM 6th Interdisciplinary Cardiothoracic Symposium Northwell Health Lenox Hill Hospital October 2019 Robotic Tracheoplasty 12th Annual Masters of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Conference Duke Center for Surgical Education and Innovation Orlando, Florida June 2019 Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty 10th Annual Meeting of the Society of Robotic Surgery Orlando, Florida May 2019 Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workshop on Robotic Thoracic Surgery Atlanta, Georgia April 2019 How I Do It: Robotic Tracheobronchoplasty for Tracheobronchomalacia UPMC Lung and Mediastinal Oncology Course Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2018 November 2018 Tracheobronchomalacia & Treatments 5th Interdisciplinary Cardiothoracic Symposium Northwell Health Lenox Hill Hospital May 2018 Tracheobronchoplasty for Adult Tracheomalacia Westchester Cardiothoracic Surgery Symposium Westchester, New York May 2018 Tracheobronchoplasty Society of Thoracic Surgeons Symposium on Robotic Thoracic Surgery Chicago, Illinois April 2018 First Series of Minimally Invasive, Robot-Assisted Tracheobronchoplasty With Mesh for Severe Tracheobronchomalacia 98th American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting San Diego, California February 2018 Pulmonary Grand Rounds: Tracheobronchomalacia Northwell Health North Shore University Hospital Manhasset, New York January 2018 Cardiothoracic Surgery Grand Rounds: Tracheobronchomalacia Northwell Health North Shore University Hospital Manhasset, New York 2017 June 2017 Tracheobronchomalacia Cardiothoracic Surgery Visiting Professor Lecture Northwell Health Manhasset, New York 2016 November 2016 Minimally Invasive Tracheoplasty Third Annual Chest Medicine Spiritus Summit New York, New York 2014 May 2014 Robotically Assisted Bilateral Bronchoplasty for Tracheobronchomalacia International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery