Clemens Aigner

About

Clemens Aigner is a leading thoracic surgeon whose research has fundamentally advanced the field of minimally invasive lung cancer surgery. His work centers on comparing robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and traditional open thoracotomy, with a focus on improving patient outcomes. Aigner’s major contributions include demonstrating that robotic lobectomy reduces hospital stays and postoperative pain compared to open surgery, as shown in his 2017 matched-pairs analysis (52 citations). His 2019 study, which used propensity-score adjustment to compare pathologic nodal upstaging across surgical approaches, has been cited 125 times, underscoring its impact on surgical decision-making. Aigner also investigated the learning curve for robotic lobectomy in high-volume centers (42 citations) and explored how body mass index affects perioperative outcomes in NSCLC patients. His 2021 comparative analysis of robotic versus VATS lobectomy (116 citations) further solidified the efficacy of robotic techniques. Additionally, Aigner has contributed to the anesthetic management of robotic thymectomy, highlighting his comprehensive approach to thoracic surgical care. His work continues to shape best practices in lung cancer surgery.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Propensity-score adjusted comparison of pathologic nodal upstaging by robotic, video-assisted thoracoscopic, and open lobectomy for non–small cell lung cancer

   125 citations · 2019
2. 2
   Robotic-assisted Versus Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy

   116 citations · 2021
3. 3
   Robotic thoracic surgery results in shorter hospital stay and lower postoperative pain compared to open thoracotomy: a matched pairs analysis

   52 citations · 2017
4. 4
   Effectiveness of Robotic Lobectomy—Outcome and Learning Curve in a High Volume Center

   42 citations · 2018
5. 5
   Comparison of the perioperative outcomes between robotic-assisted thoracic surgery and video-assisted thoracic surgery in non-small cell lung cancer patients with different body mass index ranges

   14 citations · 2022
6. 6
   Anesthetic Management during Robotic-Assisted Minimal Invasive Thymectomy Using the Da Vinci System: A Single Center Experience

   5 citations · 2022

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links