Intuitive Surgical Quick Facts
The da Vinci© Prostatectomy & The da Vinci Surgical System
- Established in 1995, Intuitive Surgical first introduced its flagship product, the da Vinci® Surgical System, in 1999.
- In 2000, the da Vinci Surgical System became the first robotic surgical platform commercially available in the United States to be cleared by the FDA for use in general laparoscopic surgery.
- Today, Intuitive Surgical has more than 300 da Vinci Systems installed in hospitals worldwide and employs more than 300 people.
- Tens of thousands of da Vinci procedures have been performed around the world — in Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim — in a wide range of specialties.
- Robotic procedures are now routinely performed in specialties including cardiac, urologic, gynecologic and general surgery.
- The first robotic prostatectomy in the world was performed in May 2000 in Frankfurt, Germany. The first robotic prostatectomy in the United States was performed in November 2000 in Richmond, Virginia.
- More than 8,000 da Vinci Prostatectomies were performed in the United States in 2004.
- da Vinci Prostatectomy is the fastest-growing treatment for prostate cancer in the United States. da Vinci Prostatectomy has grown over 300% in the last two years. It now accounts for roughly 15% of the surgical procedures performed to treat prostate cancer in the United States and is expected to grow to 20% during 2005.
- Patients routinely travel out of their respective healthcare markets to receive care at leading hospitals that offer robotic surgical technology.
This emerging trend can be attributed to the measurable clinical benefits that robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery can offer patients.