For many years, using a surgical robot in a hospital meant having a very large machine. Traditional robots needed big operating rooms, which made it difficult for smaller hospitals to offer modern surgery. However, this changed recently. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new type of surgical robot from Johnson & Johnson. This system, called OTTAVA, is special because it is the first robotic system for soft tissue surgery that is built directly into the operating table. Instead of bringing a large cart to the patient, medical staff use a normal-sized operating bed. Four robotic arms are part of the table and can be hidden when not needed. This design makes the operating room need less space, between 30% and 50% less.
A study called the FORTE clinical trial tested the system in six U.S. hospitals, even in small operating rooms. The trial focused on a type of weight-loss surgery called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Thirty patients had this operation using the new robotic arms. All thirty surgeries were completed successfully without needing to switch to manual surgery. Patients lost an average of thirty pounds within a month.
Doctors believe this new design will help surgery. It allows the bed and the robot arms to move together smoothly. This makes it easier to move the patient during surgery. The FDA approval allows the system to be used for many general surgeries, including gallbladder and appendix removal, and hernia repair. Johnson & Johnson is also connecting the system to a digital network to provide data and educational materials to surgical teams. The company plans to launch the technology in the U.S. and other countries.