Intuitive Surgical da Vinci robotic system

da Vinci Robot from Intuitive Surgical

When you need surgery, you want to get through it so that you can get back to your life. We want that for you, too. It’s why we founded Intuitive in 1995 by bringing together world-renowned experts in minimally invasive surgery, robotic technology, and human-to-machine interaction. In 1999, Intuitive launched the da Vinci surgical system which became one of the first robotic-assisted surgical systems to gain clearance.

Today, after more than 6 million surgeries globally,¹ we continue to innovate to improve the surgical systems, training, and support for surgeons, hospitals and care teams to help patients like you get back to what matters most.

This website is intended to provide you with information about robotic-assisted surgery with da Vinci. Da Vinci surgical systems are cleared by applicable regulatory agencies for use in a number of different procedures. It’s important to remember that Intuitive does not provide medical advice. After discussing all options with your doctor, only you and your doctor can determine whether surgery with da Vinci is appropriate for your situation. You should always ask your surgeon about his or her training, experience, and patient outcomes.

How it happens with da Vinci 

The da Vinci surgical system helps enable your surgeon to perform minimally invasive surgery with an advanced set of instruments and a 3D high-definition view of the surgical area. Minimally invasive surgery with da Vinci is widely used in urology and gynecology procedures, and in several other procedures, too.

One reason surgeons use da Vinci is because it may provide improved outcomes. For example, one outcome is reducing the number of complications associated with hysterectomy for benign conditions. A review of published studies suggests patients who had this procedure with da Vinci may experience fewer complications compared to patients who had open^2-5 and laparoscopic^2,5,6 surgery.

Gynecologic conditions

The gynecology specialty covers conditions of the internal female reproductive system, which includes the uterus (womb), ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina. When your reproductive system develops a problem, it can affect many aspects of your health and quality of life. Gynecologic conditions such as severe pelvic pain, endometriosis, fibroids, abnormal bleeding, pelvic organ prolapse, and cancer are common and may require medical care. When lifestyle changes, medicine, and other options do not ease your symptoms, your doctor may suggest surgery.

Types of surgery

In the past, surgeons made large incisions in skin and muscle so that they could directly see and work on the area of concern. This is called open surgery. Today doctors still perform open surgery, but they can also perform many gynecologic procedures using minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci technology. Both minimally invasive approaches require one or a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.

Robotic-assisted gynecologic procedures

• Hysterectomy for benign conditions
• Hysterectomy for cancer
• Pelvic organ prolapse surgery
• Myomectomy
• Endometriosis resection

Talk with your doctor if you have any additional questions about these procedures.