Dr. Robert McKenna, Jr., MD, is an internationally renowned thoracic surgeon, who has dedicated over 2 decades in General Thoracic surgery research and clinical care. He has produced more than 250 peer-reviewed publications about many different areas of Thoracic Surgery and 2 textbooks in Thoracic Surgery. His book, the Atlas of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery, is a landmark publication in the field of video-assisted thoracic surgery.
He performed the first minimally invasive (VATS) lung cancer operation in the US in 1992, and, currently, his experience with over 3,000 VATS lobectomies is the largest in the world.
In addition to his busy clinical practice, he is constantly teaching nationally and internationally. He has been to over 40 countries to operate and teach. He runs courses here at Providence St John’s and internationally to teach other thoracic surgeons. After almost 20 years as chief of general thoracic surgery at Cedars-Sinai, he moved to Providence St. John’s to run the Thoracic Surgery Program.
Education and Training
Medical School
USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Internship
Stanford University Hospital & Clinics, Stanford, CA
Residency
Stanford University Hospital & Clinics, Stanford, CA
Fellowship
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Honors and Awards
- American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
- America’s Top Doctors for Cancer: Thoracic Surgery, 2005-present Who’s Who, 1998-2002, 2005-2012 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award Southern California Super Doctors 2007-15.
- Visiting Professor, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China. 2002
- Visiting Professor, University of Kentucky, March 2003
- Visiting Professor, Hiroshima University, July 10, 2004
- Visiting Professor, University of Montreal/Laval, Canada. May 2007
- Menke Visiting Professor, University of Toronto, May 16-17 2007
- Visiting Professor, Rush University, Chicago, IL 2008
- Visiting Professor, Baylor University, Houston, TX 2010
- Visiting Professor, University of Alabama Birmingham, 2011 Visiting Professor, University of South Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 2011
- Visiting Professor, Georgetown University, Georgetown, D.C. 2012
- Visiting Professor, Beijing, Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China. 2011
- Visiting Professor, Poznan, Poland. June 2, 2014
- Visiting Professor, Krakow, Poland. June 4, 2014
- Visiting Professor, China 2017
- Visiting Professor, China 2018
Patient Testimonials
A combined testimonial from Linda and Geoffrey, patients of Dr. Robert McKenna, Director of Minimally Invasive Chest Surgical and Thoracic Surgical Oncology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica California.
Publications
Books
- Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Lewis MI, McKenna RJ Jr. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
Book Chapters
- McKenna RJ, McKenna RJ Jr: Patterns of pulmonary metastases–An Orthopedic Hospital experience. In: Weiss L, Gilbert HA (eds), Pulmonary Metastases. 1978 Boston, GK. Hall Co. :pp 168-81
- McKenna RJ Jr, McKenna RJ: An overview of surgical oncology. In: Murphy G, McKenna RJ (eds), Fundamentals of Surgical Oncology. 1986, New York, MacMillan, pp.1-19.
- Bodey G, McKenna RJ Jr: Surgery and the immunocompromised patient, In: Murphy G, McKenna RJ (eds), Fundamentals of Surgical Oncology. 1986, New York, MacMillan pp 11 ~4O
- Mountain CF, McKenna RJ Jr: Full thickness chest wall resection in patients with breast cancer. In: International Trends in General Thoracic Surgery (eds). 1986, Philadelphia, WB Saunders
- McKenna RJ Jr, Stiles QJ. Pleural space problems and thoracoplasty. In, Glenn’s Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Baue AG, Geha AS, Hammond GI, Laks H, Naunheim KS (eds). 1991, East Norwalk, CT, Appleton and Lange, pp 487-94
- McKenna RJ Jr: Lung cancer, In: McKenna RJ Sr, Murphy G (eds): Cancer Surgery, 1994, Philadelphia, Lippincott, pp 261-84
- McKenna RJ Jr. Esophageal cancer. In, Cancer Surgery, McKenna RJ, Murphy G (eds), 1994, Philadelphia, Lippincott, pp.285-98
- McKenna RJ Jr, Fischel RJ. Video-assisted thoracic surgery for esophageal cancer. In, Operative Laparoscopy and Thoracoscopy, MacFadyen BV, Ponsky JL (eds). 1996, Philadelphia, Lippincott- Raven, pp 885-94
- Gelb AP, Brenner M, McKenna RJ Jr, Fischel R, Zamel N, Schein MJ.
- Lung volume reduction surgery, in, Rehabilitation of the Patient with
- Respiratory Disease, Cherniack N, Altose M (eds). (1998)
- McGraw Hill,
- McKenna RJ Jr. Thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery. In, Atlas of
- Thoracoscopic Surgery, DiFalco (ed) 1998, Philadelphia, Mosby- Year Book,
- McKenna RJ Jr. Thoracoscopy. In Cameron JL. (ed.) Current Surgical Therapy, Mosby, 1998, St. Louis, pp. 1240-3. McKenna RJ Jr. Guest Editor, Chest Surg Clin No Amer 1998;10(4):1- .
- Khuri F, McKenna RJ Jr., Wagner H. Non small cell Lung cancer and mesothelioma. Cancer Management: A multimodality approach. PRR, Inc. Melville, NY. 1999
- Khuri F, McKenna RJ Jr., Wagner H. Small cell lung cancer.
- Cancer Management: A multimodality approach. PRR, Inc. Melville, NY. 1999
- McKenna RJ Jr. Technique of LVRS by Thoracoscopy. Cambridge University Press. 1999 New York
- Khuri F, McKenna RJ Jr., Movsas B. Non small cell Lung cancer and mesothelioma. Cancer Management: A multimodality approach. PRR, Inc. Melville, NY. 2000, pp 91-124
- Khuri F, Glisson BS, McKenna RJ Jr., Movsas B. Small cell lung cancer. Cancer Management: A multimodality approach. PRR, Inc. Melville, NY. 2000, pp 125-143
- Fuller CB, McKenna RJ Jr Commentary: Treatment of Esophageal Cancer. Silberman and Silberman Surgical Oncology 2001
- Lee JS, McKenna RJ Jr., Movsas B, Khouri FR. Non small cell Lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymoma. Cancer Management: A multimodality approach. PRR, Inc. Melville, NY. 2001, pp 87-126
- Glisson BS, McKenna RJ Jr., Movsas B, Khuri F. Small cell lung cancer.
- Cancer Management: A multimodality approach. PRR, Inc. Melville, NY. 2001, pp 127-36.
- McKenna RJ Jr., Movsas B., Shin DM, Khuri F, Non small cell Lung cancer and mesothelioma. Cancer Management: A multimodality approach. PRR, Inc. Melville, NY. 2003, pp
- McKenna RJ Jr. VATS for Anatomic Pulmonary Resections by VATS. Franco KL, Putnam JB. Advanced Therapy in Thoracic Surgery. BC Decker Inc., Hamilton, Ontario L8N3k7, 2004.
- Pickens A, McKenna R J Jr. VATS Lobectomy. Masters in Cardiothoracic Surgery 2005 (in Press)
- McKenna R J Jr. Improvement in Symptoms in a 62 year old COPD patient after LVRS. Clinical Challenges in COPD. Donner CF, Carone M. Atlas Medical Publishing Ltd. Oxford 2007:1-6.
- McKenna R J Jr. Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010 ;78-86.
- McKenna R J Jr., Mahtabifard A. Surgical Management of Nan- Small Cell Lung Cancer. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010;237-46.
- Nuthakki V, McKenna R J Jr. Mediastinoscopy and Mediastinotomy. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010 pages72-77.
- Cho J, Hackner D, Lewis M, McKenna RJ Jr. Mid Mediastinal Masses. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010. 384-95
- Hackner D, McKenna RJ Jr., Lewis M, Masses of the Posterior Mediastinum. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010. 396-404
- Hakin A, Sather H, Naik T, McKenna RJ Jr., Lewis M, Kamangar N. Masses of the Anterior Mediastinum. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010 365-83
- Haithcock BE, Lewis M, McKenna RJ Jr., Feins R. Pleural Effusions and Complications. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010 ;365-83
- Elsayegh A, Lewis M, McKenna RJ Jr. Chest Wall Invasion in Lung Cancer Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010. 284-7
- Hackner D, McKenna RJ Jr., Lewis M. Lewis and McKenna. Disorders of the Posterior Mediastinum. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010
- Falk JA, McKenna R J Jr., Mosenifar Z. Emphysema: Lung Volume Reduction Surgery. Lewis and McKenna. Medical Management of the Thoracic Surgery Patient. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010:147-54.
- Mahtabifard A, McKenna R J Jr. VATS Lobectomy. Khari.
- McKenna R J Jr. Surgical Management of Lung Cancer. Silberman and Silberman. Surgical Oncology 2009.
- McKenna R J Jr. Minimally Invasive Techniques for the Management of Lung Cancer. Principles and Practice of Lung Cancer. Pass and Carbone. Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins. 2010;455-58.
- McKenna R J Jr., Mahtabifard A VATS Lobectomty. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- McKenna R J Jr. VATS Right Upper Lobectomt. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- McKenna R J Jr., VATS Right Upper Lobe Sleeve Lobectomt. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- McKenna R J Jr., VATS Right Middle Lobe Lobectomt. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- McKenna R J Jr., VATS Right Middle Lobe Sleeve Lobectomty. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- Pickens A, McKenna R J Jr., VATS Right Lower Lobe Lobectomy. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- McKenna R J Jr., VATS Wedge Resection and Brachytherapy. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- McKenna R J Jr., VATS Diaphragmatic Plication. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- McKenna R J Jr., VATS Lung Volume Reduction Surgery. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- Wolfe R, McKenna R J Jr., VATS First Rib Resection. Atlas of Advanced VATS Procedures. McKenna RJ Jr, Swanson S, Mahtabifard A. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2010.
- Serna-Gonzales D, McKenna RJ Jr. VATS Lobectomy after median sternotomy for heart surgery, 2015