Latest news with #roboticsurgery
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Clemenceau Dubai surpasses 1,000 robotic knee surgeries, strengthening UAE's global lead
In a groundbreaking achievement that reaffirms the UAE's leadership in medical innovation, Clemenceau Medical Center hospital Dubai has celebrated a major milestone of successfully performing over 1,000 robotic joint replacement surgeries using the second-generation CORI robotic system, with an outstanding success rate of 99.5 per cent. This advancement places the UAE as the second country in the world after the United States to implement this cutting-edge surgical technology. The achievement is a testament to the unwavering support of the UAE's leadership in embracing and promoting global medical innovations. A special ceremony was held at the hospital's auditorium to mark the occasion, during which Dr Ali Al Balooshi, consultant orthopedic and joint replacement surgeon, was honoured for his outstanding contributions and for leading one of the most advanced robotic surgery programmes in the region. Dr Al Balooshi, who has been practicing in Dubai since 2008, stated: "In 2018, we were among the pioneers to adopt robotic surgery for knee replacement procedures. We contributed to the development of first-generation robotic systems, leading up to the second generation launched in the US at the end of 2020. We successfully implemented it in the UAE by January 2021, making our country one of the first in the world to apply this technology practically." He emphasised that robotic-assisted surgery has now become the preferred method for all knee replacement operations at Clemenceau Medical Center due to its unmatched precision and nearly zero margin of error, a significant improvement over traditional surgery methods, which carry up to a 20 per cent error rate. 'The advantages of robotics go beyond precision,' added Dr Al Balooshi. 'Patients recover much faster. Most are discharged for no more than three days, compared to a week or more with traditional surgery. The cost is also the same, making this advanced option accessible to a wider group of patients.' He explained that robotic surgery allows for the prosthetic joint to be fitted with a level of precision like that used in dental implants, significantly enhancing patient comfort and eliminating unnecessary strain on ligaments and muscles. To date, Dr Al Balooshi and his team have performed more than 1,950 robotic surgeries since 2018, including nearly 1000 cases at Clemenceau Medical Center Dubai using the second-generation system, one of the highest figures in the region. Beyond the operating room, Dr Al Balooshi has also played a key role in training dozens of surgeons from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and New Zealand through educational programmes held in Dubai. This effort further strengthens the UAE's position as a global hub for advanced medical training and healthcare excellence. This milestone reflects the UAE's long-standing vision to lead in medical excellence. The nation has consistently been at the forefront of adopting state-of-the-art technologies, a journey crowned by the recognition of Dr Al Balooshi by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his pivotal role in advancing robotic surgery as a cornerstone of the UAE's healthcare achievements.
Sustainability Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Sustainability Times
'Robot Did the Surgery': U.S. Doctors Complete First-Ever Heart Transplant Without Opening the Chest
IN A NUTSHELL 🔬 Robotic heart transplant marks a groundbreaking advance, performed without chest incisions at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. marks a groundbreaking advance, performed without chest incisions at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. 🤖 The procedure utilized a surgical robot for millimeter-level precision, avoiding traditional bone saws and wide incisions. 💉 Avoiding large incisions reduced the need for blood transfusions, minimizing the risk of antibodies rejecting the new heart. 🏥 Patients benefit from faster recovery, reduced surgical trauma, and lower infection risks, setting a new standard for minimally invasive surgery. In a groundbreaking medical achievement, U.S. surgeons have performed the first fully robotic heart transplant without making a single incision in the chest. This revolutionary procedure, executed at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston, Texas, marks a significant leap forward in transplant surgery. By employing cutting-edge robotic technology, the surgical team successfully replaced a failing heart with a donor organ, minimizing trauma and speeding up recovery. This monumental step not only showcases the potential of robotic surgery but also sets a new standard for minimally invasive procedures in complex organ transplants. Robot Rewrites the Rulebook In recent years, robotic technology has transformed various surgical disciplines, but the successful execution of a robotic heart transplant in the U.S. is unprecedented. The procedure utilized a surgical robot capable of millimeter-level precision, allowing surgeons to operate through small ports without the need for broad incisions or bone saws. This level of precision is crucial, especially when dealing with something as delicate as a heart transplant. By avoiding the traditional method of cutting through the breastbone, the procedure significantly reduced the risk of complications. The absence of large incisions minimizes the need for blood transfusions, subsequently lowering the risk of the patient developing antibodies that could reject the new heart. Furthermore, this approach leads to a quicker postoperative recovery, enhancing lung function and reducing hospital stays. Dr. Kenneth Liao emphasized that combining innovation with surgical expertise can dramatically improve patient outcomes, making such complex procedures safer and more efficient. Japan Stuns the World with 310,000-Ton Oil Behemoth That Shatters Records and Reinvents the Future of Energy Transport Not Just Cutting-Edge—No Cutting at All This pioneering transplant is set to redefine the approach to complex organ surgeries. Historically, heart transplants have been considered among the most invasive of surgical procedures, involving extensive opening of the chest cavity. The robotic method, however, eliminates the need for such invasive measures, preserving the integrity of the chest wall and reducing recovery time. The use of robotics in cardiac surgery has typically been limited to assistive roles, but this operation marks a new phase where robots take a leading role in executing intricate procedures. Dr. Todd Rosengart highlighted the importance of this achievement, noting that it represents a significant step forward in making complex surgeries safer and more efficient. This development not only benefits patients by reducing trauma and recovery time but also sets a precedent for future innovations in the field. 'They Morph Like Liquid Metal': Scientists Reveal Mini-Robot Swarm That Shape-Shifts Just Like in Sci-Fi Movies Advantages of Robotic Heart Transplants The advantages of robotic heart transplants are manifold, encompassing both medical and logistical benefits. One of the key benefits is the dramatic reduction in surgical trauma. By eliminating the need for large incisions and chest openings, the risk of infection is significantly decreased, and patients are able to mobilize much faster post-surgery. This early mobilization is crucial for improving respiratory function and overall recovery. Moreover, the precision of robotic surgery minimizes blood loss and reduces the need for transfusions, which can complicate recovery and increase the risk of rejection. The ability to perform such a delicate procedure with minimal invasiveness also means that patients can leave the hospital sooner, leading to lower healthcare costs and less strain on hospital resources. The success of this robotic heart transplant is a testament to the transformative potential of technology in healthcare, promising a future where surgeries are not only more efficient but also significantly safer. 'I Built a Laser from Hell': YouTuber Unleashes World's Strongest Handheld Beam That Instantly Melts Metal and Ignites Anything Implications for the Future The successful implementation of a robotic heart transplant has far-reaching implications for the future of transplant surgery. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential for robotics to handle increasingly complex procedures, opening the door for further innovations in minimally invasive surgery. As this technology continues to advance, it may become the standard for various types of organ transplants, making surgeries less daunting for patients and reducing the burden on healthcare systems. Looking ahead, the integration of robotics in surgery could lead to more personalized and precise treatments, improving outcomes for patients with a range of medical conditions. The success of this procedure also underscores the importance of ongoing research and development in the field of robotic surgery. As medical professionals continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, one must wonder: what other medical frontiers will robotic technology conquer next? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.4/5 (24)
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Where To Invest In Robotic Surgery
SS Innovations' surgical robots An automated Grey's Anatomy? Robots have proven their worth in manufacturing assembly lines, but they also have a big future in other places, in particular surgery. For one thing, robots promise technological exactitude—they don't shake like human hands. For another, the surgeon who directs an operation need not be physically present. Video and other tech systems allow the doctor to be hundreds of miles away, so patients needing urgent care doesn't have to wait for a specialist to travel to their bedside. Small wonder that robotic surgery's revenue is expected to double by 2029, reaching $23.7 billion, per research firm The question in this relatively new and burgeoning field is where to place your chips so you gain the best return long-term: with the top company, Intuitive Surgical, or a scrappy underdog, such as SS Innovations. There's a good case to be made for the underdog. Right now, robotics surgery leader Intuitive is riding on the success of its da Vinci Surgical System, which has been around for a quarter century. The company's shares have done well, almost tripling in value during the past five years, and since 2000 have soared over 50-fold. Intuitive's future seems bright. Solid revenue and earnings growth inspire confidence, with a commendable profit margin of 28%. The company 'offers ample growth opportunities, particularly overseas,' writes Morningstar analyst Alex Morozov. 'The ultimate ceiling for robotic surgery is virtually unlimited.' As Morozov notes, 'with the latest release of the next-generation platform, Intuitive should maintain its dominance.' Intuitive's da Vinci device uses a minimally invasive approach. It grew out of research by SRI International, with ample federal funding. Washington was drawn to the system's ability to perform long-distance surgery using robotics—a boon for battlefield medical care. As a standalone company, Intuitive first launched in Europe in 1999 and went public in the U.S. a year later. Still, while Intuitive enjoys a dominant position, another player in the field is worth a look as a value play—with a good chance of rewarding investors even more than the established leader will going forward. After all, Intuitive is not a cheap stock: Its price/earnings ratio is 75. Intuitive commands a market cap of $183 billion, while SS Innovations weighs in at just $685 million. SS Innovations International is a recent (founded 2019) startup that has shown encouraging growth, and joined Nasdaq in April, with its executives ringing the exchange's opening bell in early June. Its growth story is solid. To be sure, like most young companies, it is not profitable, but finances are improving. Annual revenue is up more than three times from 2023 to 2024. Cash is a reassuring 25% of total assets and long-term debt is zero. The company's strategic position appears to be firm, as well. It touts a price advantage of its latest product, SSi Mantra 3, over Intuitive's da Vinci. In the U.S., SS Innovations' focus will be on community hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers in medically under-served areas, such as rural America. SS Innovations is led by Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, its CEO (the SS in the business' name), and Dr. Frederic Moll, its vice chairman. Srivastava pioneered many current robotic procedures and has four decades of surgical experience. He holds 59% of the firm's shares. Moll, an American and onetime Johnson & Johnson executive, co-founded rival Intuitive. He holds approximately 10% of SS Innovation's shares. 'Our system is cheaper, more advanced and more user friendly,' Srivastava says. Plus, its remote feature is a big help for both doctors and patients, he goes on: 'I can do a surgery in Delhi with the patient in Bangalore, 2,000 miles away.' Another area where robotic surgery promises to be a boon is to help alleviate the doctor shortage in the U.S., Moll says. After all, surgery is a high-stress profession, and some practitioners bail out of their careers early, compounding the problem. Moll argues that the ease of using his firm's system will extend surgeons working lives. SS Innovations got its start in India, where Srivastava made his name using minimally invasive techniques. The company's SSi Mantra device is used around the world, primarily in Asia and South America. SS Innovations is next targeting the huge markets in the U.S. and Europe, and expects to receive a regulatory decision for SSi Mantra 3 from Washington in the first half of 2026. To date, the company has performed 4,000 surgeries over a large swath of categories, which include cardiac, gynecology, urology and colorectal procedures. Certainly, other companies offer surgical robotics. But unlike SS Innovations, these tend to be focused on specific types of ailments, such as PROCEPT BioRobotics (urinary and prostate), or are not a robotics pure play, like Medtronic (pacemakers, stents, insulin pumps). SS Innovations is all about robotic medicine, period. In cultural terms, robots often get a bad rap. Think HAL 9000 in the sci-fi classic, 2001 Space Odyssey: It murders the crew of astronauts. More concretely and currently, a lot of anxiety exists that artificial intelligence will dump humans out of their jobs. But robotic surgery, as seen by SS Innovations' promise, highlights the benign side of robots, and presents an investment opportunity worthy of consideration.
Times
22-06-2025
- Health
- Times
A robot surgeon? I'll put my money on that
T hank you for waiting, the robot will see you now. Nine in ten keyhole operations won't need a human surgeon in the room within the next decade, according to the NHS. One in five operations are already carried out by robots, guided remotely, to improve outcomes while cutting costs. Science fiction is becoming surgical fact because robotic-assisted surgery can mean smaller incisions, reduced scarring and quicker recovery. There's no need to take my word for it: Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of the NHS, said: 'We are using every tool to ensure patients get the best possible treatment. Expanding the use of new tech, such as robotic surgery, will play a huge part.' Wes Streeting, the health and social care secretary, added: 'I know how important this is. The NHS saved my life from kidney cancer with an operation led by a world-class surgeon being helped by a robot.'
Telegraph
21-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Bernie Ecclestone fired everyone in the team apart from me
As a man who came up with some of Formula One's greatest innovations, it is not a surprise that Gordon Murray marvels with fascination about the futuristic robots that operated on him last year. For decades, Murray – who spent two successful decades in F1 with Brabham and McLaren – has suffered from acid reflux, which increases the risk of oesophageal cancer. At the start of 2024 he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma [cancer that starts in the glands]. 'For 15 years I've been going for an endoscopy every year and a biopsy. We caught it with one of those. The problem with oesophageal cancer is that it doesn't have many symptoms until it's too late, which is why the survival rate is very low,' Murray tells Telegraph Sport. Murray's brother Terry died of the disease 11 years ago. From there it was a choice of having surgery straight away or chemotherapy first and then robotic-assisted surgery. Murray chose the latter. 'The oncologist spent the best part of an hour going through the possible side-effects with me and my wife before I started the chemo and boy I got everything,' he says. The most extreme of the side-effects was atrial fibrillation, where Murray's heart rate soared to 180bpm. To remedy this, his heart was stopped and restarted. This delayed his procedure but he eventually had the operation to remove the cancer in July last year. The Da Vinci XI surgical robot used in Murray's procedure is controlled by a doctor. In Murray's case this was Professor Shaun Preston, based at Private Care at Guy's Hospital. Preston and his team have now performed more than 250 robotic-assisted cancer operations. 'The Da Vinci robots allow keyhole surgery to be performed with a magnified, immersive, 3D image that is better than the naked eye,' Professor Preston explains. 'It is like operating from within the abdomen and/or chest.' This groundbreaking technology, which allows surgeons to operate with greater precision, was a natural point of fascination for Murray the engineer. 'The surgeon sits on the other side of the room with a PlayStation, basically, and you are lying there and everything is done with robots,' he says. The surgery was a success and Murray was out of intensive care within six days. He claims to be back to working 11-hour days – although he has been getting used to being fed by tube. Murray, as enthusiastic as ever at 78, sees the similarities in the medical technology used in his operation and his own career. 'It's a bit like us prototyping a racing car. That's the fun bit for me: when you think of an idea and then you have to develop it before you actually go racing,' he says. 'Racing' is still what Murray is best known for, 35 years after he left F1. His years helping to revive Brabham, working with then owner Bernie Ecclestone, were undoubtedly the peak of his (and arguably anybody's) innovation in motorsport. Murray moved to the UK from his native South Africa in 1969 as a 23-year-old. Not too long after, he secured a job on Brabham's design team after meeting with then-designer and co-founder Ron Tauranac. In 1972 the struggling outfit was bought by Bernie Ecclestone, who sacked everyone in the technical team apart from Murray. He became chief designer at just 26, starting a period of revival that would result in 22 grand prix wins and two world championships. 'I should have gone home and had many sleepless nights thinking about it. But I didn't. I just came in in the morning and got stuck in and designed a car I thought would win,' Murray says. 'Bernie Ecclestone was my business partner for 14 years at Brabham. He fired the other four guys and just kept me in and said right, you're it, you're the chief designer – I want a brand new Formula One car.' To this day, Murray is still not totally sure why Ecclestone decided to keep only him on board. 'Nobody has ever got the real answer. One time he said 'I found him under a dust sheet in the corner of the design office'. Another time it was everybody – I don't know who 'everybody' was – told me to fire Gordon so I decided to keep him. Bernie loves coming up with these fun answers.' Murray has a suspicion that interest from other teams – he designed Alain de Cadenet's Duckhams LM for the 1972 edition of Le Mans and was approached by Italian team Tecno to design their F1 car – made Ecclestone think he was worth retaining. Murray says he would 'hate' to design F1 cars today because of the lack of freedom for designers. Back then the latitude in the regulations allowed him space to come up with some of motorsport's most enduring innovations and designs, including structural carbon fibre and pull-rod suspension. There was also the introduction of strategic pit-stops and refuelling in F1 towards the end of the 1982 season with the BT50. 'I did some calculations on the lap-time differential between half tanks and full tanks and that was very easy to calculate. We knew that going from empty tanks to full tanks was about 2.5sec a lap. So, if you could start on half tanks you would have a second-a-lap advantage, every lap,' Murray explains. 'Because there were no rules about refuelling I used pressure – we had a couple of old beer barrels and we pressurised one, I think 2.5bar or something and we could get 30 gallons of fuel in in three seconds. It was highly dangerous!' The problem was that turbo-charger issues were so persistent that they only got to the pit stop once in that period. The chance of a real and lasting advantage, Murray believed, had disappeared. 'Because we never finished a race, I said to Bernie 'we've completely blown it'. We've shown them now for about four or five races what we're going to do and when we arrive at the first race in Brazil [next season], everybody will have a half-tank car, a pit-stop car and they didn't. I couldn't believe our luck!' When you think of innovation and Gordon Murray and embody it within a single Formula One car, though, the machine that will pop into most people's heads is 1978's Brabham BT46B, or the 'fan car'. The design came about almost by accident. Brabham's flat-12 Alfa Romeo engine was too large to go down the ground-effect route of the Lotus 78, so Murray had to come up with another solution. He did so by studying the regulations and finding a loophole. The idea with the fan was to use it to create downforce – which it did, enormously – but because its 'primary purpose' was cooling it was not classified as a moveable aerodynamic device and was permitted within regulations. Getting it to last was problematic, though. 'We did some private testing at Donington and then Brands Hatch and the fans, which were composite plastic, all exploded,' Murray says. 'With only one week before the Swedish Grand Prix I had to recast all the blades in magnesium and machine the plastic hub for the fan in aluminium. When we got to Sweden I had no idea if it would work.' Although Niki Lauda and John Watson had to adapt their driving styles to get the best from the new car ('I had to explain to them that their approach to a corner – forget everything they knew') the Austrian won the race at Anderstorp by 34 seconds. However, after protests and wrangling between the teams and the sport's governing body, the fan concept was banned. Murray's time at Brabham ended in 1986 after two drivers' titles. By that point he decided he wanted out of F1. 'We lost Nelson Piquet, we lost the tyre contract, we lost the BMW engine contract. I thought I've just won two world championships… I should go and do something different. Bernie by then had definitely got his mind set on running Formula One,' Murray says. Ron Dennis at McLaren had eyed Murray to replace Ferrari-bound John Barnard. After some persuading, Murray took up the offer to become the team's technical director for 1987. At the time, McLaren had a reputation for stuffiness and rigid formality. Woking was a stark contrast to Brabham, partly down to the enormous difference in resources. Murray says he was still given latitude to operate, technically and personally. 'My contract said I had a completely free hand, even the way I dressed – so it didn't change much there. Likewise, just like Bernie, Ron Dennis gave me a completely free hand with the technical side of the business.' The result was a perfect end to a storied F1 career and 'a nice way to bow out': three double world championships, with Ayrton Senna taking two drivers' titles and Alain Prost the other. Of all the drivers Murray worked with, it is no shock that he rates Senna as fastest. But he has a lot of affection for another Brazilian – Nelson Piquet, who won two drivers' championships in 1981 and 1983 in Murray's cars. 'He had a bicycle and a flat nearby and he came in every day and sat at my drawing board and asked questions all day. The interaction I had with Nelson in those seven years was very, very special.' After leaving F1, Murray designed the McLaren F1, the company's first sportscar. Its revolutionary design, fittingly, utilised a carbon fibre monocoque. 30 years ago last weekend, a modified F1 GTR won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the last road car to do so. Of all Murray's achievements, he calls this 'top trumps'. 'Forget the fact that it was a GT car, not a prototype – it wasn't supposed to win. I think that is a much harder thing to do than winning a world championship in Formula One because you only get one shot at it. 'When I first thought about doing Le Mans in '72, I was terrified because I knew what went wrong in a grand prix car in two hours. That is like doing a whole season without stopping.'
