Papers
12
Total Citations
725
H-Index
9
About
David J. Finley is a pioneering thoracic surgeon whose research has fundamentally advanced the field of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery for lung and esophageal cancers. His work centers on developing and validating novel surgical approaches that improve patient outcomes while maximizing safety during procedure development. Finley’s landmark 2016 study comparing robotic, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and open lobectomy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer—cited over 330 times—provided critical evidence that robotic approaches can achieve comparable long-term survival to open surgery, reshaping clinical practice. He has been instrumental in refining robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE), publishing foundational papers on technique standardization, proficiency attainment, and complication reduction. Finley also introduced innovative adjuncts like intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence imaging to preserve critical vascular structures during esophagectomy and developed bronchoscopic pleural dye marking for localizing indeterminate pulmonary nodules. His work on chylothorax and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury has enhanced understanding of robotic-specific complications. With multiple papers accumulating hundreds of citations, Finley’s contributions have established evidence-based frameworks that enable safer adoption of robotic thoracic surgery, directly benefiting thousands of patients worldwide.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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