Intuitive, a surgical robot maker, is expanding its push into the cardiac market after receiving CE mark approval for its da Vinci 5 surgical robot in adult cardiac surgery in Europe. The approval includes coronary artery bypass procedures.
The company had previously de-emphasized heart surgery due to technical limitations of its earlier platforms, but it is now poised to scale up minimally invasive cardiac surgery across Europe.
Cardiac surgery represents a large market opportunity, with cardiovascular diseases being the leading cause of death worldwide. Intuitive’s CFO, Jamie Samath, has stated that cardiac procedures are among the company’s most anticipated long-term opportunities.
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The da Vinci 5 system enables surgeons to operate through small incisions without opening the patient’s breastbone. Intuitive plans to offer new instruments for cardiac procedures and provide dedicated infrastructure to support customers.
Dirk Barten, Intuitive’s commercial president for Europe, said the CE mark approval represents the company’s commitment to bringing back robotic-assisted minimally invasive cardiac procedures in Europe. The company will partner with European centers to establish reproducible cardiac surgery programs.
Intuitive is also ramping up its cardiac initiative in the U.S., having received FDA clearance for da Vinci 5 in nine heart procedures earlier this year. The company’s expansion into the cardiac market comes as it experienced an unexpected slowdown in U.S. procedures growth in the second quarter.
