They said it at DeviceTalks Boston 2023

SURGICAL ROBOTICS AT DEVICETALKS BOSTON

“Surgeons knew the dissatisfaction wasn’t due to the design but where the implant went — personalized medicine. The robot was a way to get to that,” said Stryker Digital, Robotics, and Enabling Technology President Robert Cohen on the tipping point for establishing proof and support for surgical robotics, specifically with Stryker’s Mako Total Knee offering.

Speaking to Stryker’s experience with Mako, Cohen said the market will follow if you address true clinical needs.

Vicarious Surgical CEO Adam Sachs discussed the untapped potential in surgical robotics, saying there’s only a 3.2% penetration of procedures addressed by legacy robots. “In the U.S., the vast majority of surgeries are done manually. This is an incredible opportunity.”

Johnson & Johnson MedTech Global Head of Robotics R&D Martin Buehler shared why J&J wants to make a difference with its surgical robotics program. “The unmet need in global healthcare is staggering. To address this, we’d have to supply 143 million additional surgeries a year. In short, more care is needed. More surgery is needed. All with fewer doctors. It’s going to be a challenge.”

Speaking to the future of surgical robotics, Buehler said, “As technologists, we want to combine areas, so surgeons become flexible pilots — ‘super surgeons.’ Then surgery gets to a place where surgical outcomes are as safe, predictable and consistent as what people expect from air travel.”

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