Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

Get to Know Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

Dr. Farid Gharagozloo has improved the treatment of patients everywhere by pioneering the advancement of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. He uses it for malignant and benign diseases of the chest, including mesothelioma.

Gharagozloo is surgeon-in-chief at the Institute for Advanced Thoracic Surgery at the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center in Orlando, specializing in minimally invasive techniques that have improved the surgical and healing process.

He also serves as professor of surgery at the University of Central Florida School of Medicine, using his experience to help train the next generation of surgeons.

Robotic surgery involves small instruments attached to a robot that is controlled remotely by a surgeon at a computer board. Although it has been used for almost 20 years for less-invasive procedures, only in the last several years have thoracic surgeons been utilizing robotics for major procedures in the chest.

Gharagozloo is one of only a small number of internationally recognized specialists at the cutting edge of robotic surgery. He treats pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer and a wide variety of thoracic disorders, including esophageal cancer. He also treats gastroesophageal reflux disease and thoracic outlet syndrome.

Specialties of Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

Dr. Farid Gharagozloo’s Experience and Medical Education

Awards and Other Recognitions

Dr. Farid Gharagozloo Is a Mesothelioma Surgery Innovator

Gharagozloo was the first physician in the world to use robotic surgery successfully to perform an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) for mesothelioma. The EPP removes an entire lung, the lining around it and parts of the diaphragm.

He performed the procedure several times at the University of Arizona Cancer Center in 2013, attracting considerable acclaim.

“It’s not the golden ticket, but it can make a huge difference,” Gharagozloo said. “It could change the way we look at this disease. The use of the robot with this surgery is revolutionary.”

Although the chest still must be opened as with the traditional style of surgery, it’s the robot inside instead of the surgeon. It provides better maneuverability and more precise movement during an operation.

Gharagozloo believes this makes the surgery much safer, with less blood loss and a quicker recovery time.

“This changes the post-operative course for a patient,” he said.

Publications of Dr. Farid Gharagozloo