Papers
25
Total Citations
384
H-Index
9
About
Richard Lazzaro is a pioneering thoracic surgeon whose career has centered on minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgical techniques for complex chest conditions, particularly lung cancer and tracheobronchomalacia. His most influential contribution is the multi-institutional Pulmonary Open, Robotic, and Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (PORTaL) Study, which has garnered nearly 150 citations across two landmark publications and provided the field with critical comparative data on open, VATS, and robotic lobectomy outcomes — including overall survival analyses performed by experienced surgeons. Lazzaro has been equally transformative in the treatment of tracheobronchomalacia, leading the first reported series of robot-assisted tracheobronchoplasty with mesh (47 citations) and the first robotically assisted bilateral bronchoplasty, fundamentally expanding what minimally invasive surgery can achieve for this debilitating airway disease. His broader body of work — spanning robotic diaphragm plication, intercostal muscle flap harvest, and analyses of the VATS-to-robotics learning curve — reflects a consistent commitment to refining surgical platforms and improving patient outcomes. Lazzaro has also been a vocal advocate for robotics as the natural evolution beyond VATS, positioning himself as both an innovator and educator within modern thoracic surgery.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Pulmonary Open, Robotic, and Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (PORTaL) Study119 citations · 2021
- 2
- 3Pulmonary Open, Robotic, and Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (PORTaL) Study30 citations · 2023
- 4Robotic thoracoscopic plication for symptomatic diaphragm paralysis28 citations · 2011
- 5Robotics — The answer to the Achilles’ heel of VATS pulmonary resection25 citations · 2012
- 6
- 7Robotically Assisted Bilateral Bronchoplasty for Tracheobronchomalacia19 citations · 2015
- 8
- 9Robotic harvest of intercostal muscle flap11 citations · 2013
- 10Tracheobronchoplasty8 citations · 2023