About Me
My personal goal is to provide the best thoracic surgical care to the patients that I have the honor of caring for. Working with a team that has a shared vision and a common purpose, we care for patients just as we ourselves would want for our own families cared for, driving the narrative to deliver the best thoracic surgical care for patients.
Joining RWJBarnabas Health in 2022 from Northwell Health, I served as the Director of Thoracic Robotic Surgery and Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Here I developed a thoracic surgery program consecutively ranked top 10 in the country for lung cancer surgery outcomes since 2012 as reported by the General Thoracic Surgery Database of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the world’s premier clinical outcomes registry for thoracic surgery.
I attended Albany Medical College and completed my residency at North Shore University Hospital, Cornell University Medical College. I completed postdoctoral fellowship training in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as well as in general thoracic surgery at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. I have pioneered many groundbreaking firsts in robotic thoracic surgery and have led one of the largest tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) programs in the nation. Using minimally invasive robotic surgery, I specialize in precise surgical procedures that result in minimal scarring and faster recovery times for patients.
Dr. Lazzaro sees patients at Monmouth Medical Center, Community Medical Center, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Clinical Expertise
- lung cancer surgery
- robotic minimally invasive VATS surgery
- esophageal surgery
- hiatal hernia
- achalasia
- tracheal surgery
- tracheobronchomalacia
- tracheobronchoplasty
- myasthenia gravis and thymectomy
- thymoma
Ratings and Reviews
5 Overall
Based on 171 reviews
4.9
Provider explained things clearly
4.9
Provider showed concern
4.9
Provider included you in decisions
5
Likelihood of recommending this provider
4.9
Provider discussed treatment options
Insurance
Accepted Health Plan information is only as accurate as the most current information submitted. Prior to your appointment, it is advisable to verify with your insurance company they are still a participating plan prior to receiving services or care. Each plan is different and some provide different levels of coverage that could make a difference in your out-of-pocket costs. It is always best for the patient receiving care to contact their insurance company to obtain more information.
- Aetna
- Amerigroup
- Cigna
- Consumer Health Plan
- Horizon BCBS
- Horizon NJ Health
- Magnacare
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Multiplan
- Oxford Health
- Qualcare HMO
- Qualcare PPO
- United Community
- United Healthcare
- United Medicare
- WellCare
Articles and Press
An Expert weighs in on NJ's Efforts in Lung Cancer Treatment
Dr. Richard Lazzaro talks to NJ Spotlight News about room for improvement when it comes to diagnoses and disparities in lung cancer.
National Leader in Thoracic Surgery Appointed to Expanded Role
Richard S. Lazzaro, MD, FACS, has been named as the Chief of Thoracic Surgery for the RWJBarnabas Health Southern Region.