Da Vinci procedures

Some recent clinical outcome numbers for the da Vinci: 

"In May of this year, a large scale, real-world comparative study using the National Cancer Database was published in the journal, Colorectal Disease. The analysis, led by Dr. Ravi Kiran from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, compared the results of over 41,000 patients from between 2010 and 2015 by surgical approach. The National Cancer Database captures data from over 1,500 cancer-accredited facilities and represents approximately 70% of newly diagnosed cancer cases. The population for the study consisted of approximately 15% robotic-assisted, 33% laparoscopic and 52% open procedures. In propensity score-matched analysis, with over 4,000 subjects in each cohort, comparing the robotic LAR approach to the laparoscopic approach, the robotic LAR was associated with shorter length of stay, 6.3 days versus 6.8 days; and lower risk of conversion to open, 7.5% versus 14.95%; with multivariate analysis showing laparoscopic LAR patients being 2.2x more likely to be converted to open. Compared to open LAR, the robotic-assisted approach had shorter length of stay, 6.3 days versus 7.8 days; a higher rate of negative margins, 97.01% versus 95.96%; and higher nodal yield, 17 versus 16.4." 

"The first clinical research related to da Vinci SP usage in transoral surgery was published by JAMA Otolaryngology, titled A Next-Generation Single-Port Robotic Surgical System for Transoral Robotic Surgery, results from prospective non-randomized clinical trials, was authored by Dr. F. Christopher Holsinger from Stanford, et al. The study included a total of 47 patients across four institutions, three in the US and one in Hong Kong. All 47 patients had tumors of the oropharynx and underwent surgery with the da Vinci SP. 40 patients had malignant tumors, while seven were benign. All 47 patients, 8 women and 39 men, with a mean age of 61, safely underwent transoral resection with the da Vinci SP without conversion to open surgery, laser surgery or multi-port robotic surgery. There were no intraoperative complications or device-related serious adverse events. Mean estimated intraoperative blood loss per procedure was 15.4 milliliters, with no patients – no patients received a transfusion. Within 30 days, 45 of the 47 patients were eating by mouth and without the need for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube. The authors concluded, "the use of the device appears to be feasible, safe and effective for transoral robotic surgery of oropharyngeal tumors."

Source: Intuitive Q2 Earnings Call, Intuitive Q3 Earnings Call
Image credit: Cleveland Clinic being first in performing a prostate surgery with the da Vinci SP