Pediatric surgery is entering a new era defined by robotics, artificial intelligence, cell therapy and devices that make care more precise – especially for children. Helping to advance this “golden age” of medicine is Anthony Sandler, MD, chief of Surgery at Children’s National Hospital and director of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. His work is reshaping how surgeons operate, how therapies are delivered and how the next generation of clinicians will think about treating kids.
In this episode of The Lead in Peds, Dr. Sandler sits down with host Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, to share how his team is advancing everything from T cell therapies that train the immune system to fight cancer to augmented reality tools that make surgery more precise, and robotics that could one day operate autonomously (under the ever-watchful eye of a trained surgeon, of course). He explains why pediatrics is poised to leap ahead in innovation, what the future of surgery might look like in just a decade and how today’s breakthroughs are setting a new standard of care for children and families everywhere.
And if you’ve ever wondered about how being a good point guard on a basketball team trains you for hospital leadership (or what Dr. Kuppermann looks like with hair!), look no further.
Listen via Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Innovation District2025-08-28 10:10:082025-08-28 10:18:30Podcast: Cutting Edge: Precision and Progress in Pediatric Surgery
