Papers
82
Total Citations
3,386
H-Index
29
About
Robert J. Cerfolio is a pioneering thoracic surgeon whose work has fundamentally shaped the adoption and standardization of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. His research centers on minimally invasive approaches to lung resection — particularly robotic lobectomy and segmentectomy — as well as outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and surgical innovation in general thoracic surgery. Cerfolio's most cited work documents his landmark consecutive experience with completely portal robotic pulmonary resection (339 citations), establishing foundational technique and safety benchmarks that guided surgeons worldwide. His comparative studies — including the large-scale PORTaL study and Society of Thoracic Surgeons database analysis — rigorously evaluated robotic versus VATS and open approaches, providing critical outcome data for the field. His research consistently demonstrated advantages in nodal upstaging, oncologic thoroughness, and long-term survival with robotic lobectomy across multi-institutional cohorts. Beyond outcomes research, Cerfolio contributed practical guidance on program implementation, cost-profitability analysis, and management of surgical complications such as chylothorax and major vascular injuries. His collective body of work, accumulating over 1,600 citations, has been instrumental in legitimizing robotic thoracic surgery as a mainstream, evidence-based approach to lung cancer treatment.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 8Pulmonary Open, Robotic, and Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (PORTaL) Study119 citations · 2021
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