Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

About Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

Dr. Farid Gharagozloo is one of the world’s leading experts in robotic and minimally invasive surgery. He is currently a professor of surgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he also serves as the Surgeon-in-Chief of the Institute for Advanced Thoracic Surgery.

He has incorporated robotics technology into thoracic surgery and created new treatment options for mesothelioma and lung cancer patients.

Dr. Gharagozloo is best recognized for:

• Being the first doctor to successfully perform an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) using robotic surgery
• Holding patents in the U.S. and Europe for a tissue-healing-accelerant product
• Publishing nearly 250 peer-reviewed articles that help further the medical community’s understanding of robotics and thoracic surgery

“We want to change the story of mesothelioma.”
—Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

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Dr. Gharagozloo’s Background

Dr. Gharagozloo holds a medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic in general and thoracic surgery.

After additional training at Harvard Medical School, he pursued a fellowship at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Upon demonstrating his interest in thoracic robotics, Dr. Gharagozloo was recruited by AdventHealth (formerly Florida Hospital) to establish and lead its Advanced Thoracic Surgery Program, which combines minimally invasive techniques with more traditional approaches to cancer treatment.

Medical Specializations

Dr. Gharagozloo is a board-certified thoracic surgeon specializing in malignant esophageal conditions, challenging thoracic malignancies, and minimally invasive surgery.

Globally recognized for his work with robotics, he pioneered using robots for extrapleural pneumonectomies.

“The impact we are hoping to make is through early detection as well as very advanced minimally invasive therapy for these tumors. Whether it is lung cancer or mesothelioma, the robot makes it a better oncologic operation and a safer operation.”
—Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive form that allows surgeons to perform highly accurate and complex surgeries through tiny incisions. Robots magnify a surgeon’s view and ease the maneuvering of surgical tools with immense control.

Robotic surgery can minimize blood loss, reduce infection risks, and accelerate recovery times for mesothelioma patients.

Surgical safety is particularly important for patients with mesothelioma, as EPP can be a high-risk medical procedure. While robotics has been used in surgery for over two decades, applying this technology to mesothelioma was a ground-breaking innovation.

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Dr. Gharagozloo’s Career Accomplishments

Dr. Gharagozloo is globally recognized for his minimally invasive surgical techniques and advancements in robotic thoracic surgery. He made mesothelioma history when he performed the first two robot-assisted extrapleural pneumonectomies.

“[Robotic surgery] will take us out of the rut we’ve been in for too long with this disease. It’s not about the sexiness of using a robot. It’s about a new and much better way to do this surgery. It’s about giving your patients the best chance to live.”
—Dr. Farid Gharagozloo

He has also made medical advancements in the application of robotics for cardiothoracic, lung, esophageal, and gastrointestinal cancer. The field of robotics has vast applications within cardiothoracic surgery, and Dr. Gharagozloo is committed to breaking down barriers and developing new treatment options for his patients.

Dr. Gharagozloo has patents in the United States and Europe for a specific type of tissue-healing accelerant.

Awards & Honors

• American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow
• America’s Top Doctors
• America’s Top Doctors for Cancer
• Textbook of the Year
• Top Doctors: Arizona State
• Top Doctors: Washington-Baltimore
• U.S. News and World Report’s Americas Top Doctors

Professional Affiliations

• American Board of Thoracic Surgery (diplomat)
• Florida Hospital Global Robotics Institute (member)
• Priestly Society of Surgery (member)
• Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (member)
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons (member)
• Society of Robotic Surgery (board member)

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Working With Dr. Gharagozloo

Dr. Gharagozloo spearheads the team at the Institute for Advanced Thoracic Surgery in Florida. The institute is dedicated to serving the community as a health care service that values compassionate care, mutual respect, continued education, and quality research.

He and his elite team of medical professionals use the latest minimally invasive and robotic-assisted technology alongside advanced treatment options to help treat individuals with mesothelioma.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it’s important to find treatment administered by leading doctors like Dr. Gharagozloo.

Our Free Doctor Match can help you find a top mesothelioma specialist like Dr. Gharagozloo in your area — get matched with a specialist now.