Intuitive Surgical remotely connected two surgeons for a trans-Atlantic demonstration of the telesurgery capabilities of its da Vinci 5 robotic system during a conference in Strasbourg, France.
The surgeons used a dual console system to perform a procedure on an advanced tissue model to replicate the behavior of live tissue, Intuitive said Wednesday. Surgeon Doug Stoddard’s console was alongside the patient cart and tissue model in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, while Andrea Pakula operated a remote console more than 4,000 miles away in Strasbourg.
Stoddard is director of surgery and robotics at Christus Health in Texas. Pakula is medical director of robotic surgery at Adventist Health in California.
The two passed control of surgical instruments back and forth. Both used the system’s force feedback technology to feel the force exerted by instruments on the tissue model.
Telesurgery is one part of collaboration efforts, including telementoring, teleproctoring and dual console surgery, that are aimed at helping clinical teams improve outcomes and reduce the cost of care, Intuitive CEO Dave Rosa said in a statement from the Society of Robotic Surgery conference.
While robotic telesurgery is not a new idea, a high-performing network infrastructure and robotic system designed for remote collaboration are needed to be successful, Intuitive said. The company’s telesurgery technology is still in development, and the software demonstrated is not cleared for use in the U.S. or CE marked in the European Union.
“Our focus is not on being first but on being rigorous in building the infrastructure to support safety, reliability, and consistent use,” said Brian Miller, Intuitive’s chief digital officer. Miller was an engineer who worked on Operation Lindbergh, the world’s first trans-Atlantic telesurgical operation, in 2001.
Medtronic on Tuesday said it also planned to conduct a telesurgery demonstration with its Hugo robot-assisted system in connection with the Society of Robotic Surgery meeting.
SS Innovations marks 100 installs
SS Innovations International said more than 100 of its SSi Mantra surgical robotic systems have been installed in India and six other countries.
More than 5,000 surgical procedures have been successfully performed to date with the system, including 240 cardiac surgeries and 32 telesurgeries, the company said Tuesday. The milestone is an increase from the 2,759 total surgeries completed at the end of 2024.
“We are seeing growing demand for and acceptance of the SSi Mantra, which reflects its premium quality, innovative features, ease of use, improved patient experience, and overall cost-effectiveness,” CEO Sudhir Srivastava said in a statement.
SS Innovations said it expects to submit a de novo application to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of this month for approval to market the robot with multiple indications in the U.S. The company is also pursuing a European Union CE marking certification, which it said could come in late 2025.
