D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 3
I
ntuitive
Surgical's da
Vinci robot,
which sells for
$1.5 to $2 mil-
lion and costs about
$300,000 a year to main-
tain, continues to domi-
nate abdominal robotic
surgery. Nimbler, lower-
priced systems, in vari-
ous stages of develop-
ment (see "Da Vinci
Alternatives" on page
56), have yet to gain
much if any traction in
the U.S. market. That's
likely to change in the
coming years — as will the cost of entry for abdominal robotics.
"Competitors are trying to keep their price points closer to $1 million.
That's still pricey, but over time competing companies will lower their
prices as they get into larger production runs," says Roger Smith, PhD,
chief scientist at AdventHealth Nicholson Center in Celebration, Fla.
"Robots are certainly going to be more popular and numerous, and
like anything with technology, they'll get cheaper, smaller, easier,"
Wanted: An Abdominal Robot
For Same-Day Surgery
Here's an update on the quest for smaller, less
expensive robots tailored to outpatient facilities.
• HELP AT A COST Robots for abdominal surgeries can improve performance
and outcomes, but also increase per-case costs compared to laparoscopy.
Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor