DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM

The Da Vinci Surgical System is a robotic surgical system developed by the American company Intuitive Surgical. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000, it is designed to facilitate complex surgeries using a minimally invasive approach and is controlled by a surgeon from a console. The system is commonly used for prostatectomies and increasingly for repairing heart valves and gynaecological surgical procedures. According to the manufacturer, the Da Vinci system is named “Da Vinci” in part because Leonardo da Vinci’s “study of human anatomy” ultimately led to the design of the first known robot in history.

Da Vinci robots operate in hospitals worldwide, with approximately 200,000 surgeries performed in 2012, most commonly for hysterectomies and prostate removals. As of June 30, 2014, there was a global installed base of 3,102 units, an increase from 2,000 units at the same time the previous year. The distribution of these units is as follows: 2,153 in the United States, 499 in Europe, 183 in Japan, and 267 in the rest of the world. The “Si” version of the system costs on average just under 2 million USD, in addition to several hundred thousand dollars in annual maintenance fees. The Da Vinci system has been criticized for its cost and a range of issues related to its surgical performance.