Medtronic Hugo™ Robotic-Assisted Surgery System Cornerstone of New Robotics Program in Latin America
July 20, 2021 at 09:50 am EDT
Share
Medtronic plc announced the integration of the Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system at Hospital Clinico de la Red de Salud UC CHRISTUS in Santiago, Chile, to support the teaching institution's new robotic surgery program. UC CHRISTUS is the latest institution to join Medtronic's Partners in Possibility Program, a group of pioneering hospitals that will be among the first in the world to use the Hugo RAS system in support of the Hugo system patient registry. In Latin America, approximately 75% of surgeries are conducted as open procedures.1 With minimally invasive surgery, those patients could experience fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, faster return to normal activities, and smaller scars. Robotic surgery is a form of minimally invasive surgery that offers surgeons improved visualization, greater dexterity, and ergonomic advantages, yet robots are used in less than 3% of surgeries globally.1 The Hugo RAS system — Medtronic's solution to historic cost and utilization barriers that have kept surgical robotics out of reach for many hospitals — is a modular, multi-quadrant platform designed for a broad range of soft-tissue procedures. The Hugo RAS system combines the precision of wristed instruments with the flexibility of independent robotic arm carts and best-in-class 3D visualization technology on an open console. Touch Surgery™ Enterprise, a cloud-based surgical video capture option powered by artificial intelligence, allows surgeons to seamlessly record, analyze, and share Hugo system case footage. In support of its commitment to expand access to quality care, Medtronic has opened a new Surgical Robotics Experience Center in Santiago. This is the company's first in Latin America and 1 of 10 world-class facilities around the globe where clinicians can experience and train on the Hugo RAS system. The Santiago Surgical Robotics Experience Center operates in partnership with the Faculty of Medicine of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, which is affiliated with UC CHRISTUS. The Hugo RAS system is not cleared or approved in the U.S. or Europe. Regulatory requirements of individual countries and regions will determine availability and approval or clearance timelines. Touch Surgery Enterprise is not intended to direct surgery, or aid in diagnosis or treatment of a disease or condition.
Medtronic plc is one of the world leaders in designing, manufacturing and marketing of medical equipment. Net sales break down by sector of activity as follows:
- general and minimally invasive surgery (28.8%): surgical equipment, intra-operative monitoring systems, ventilation systems, etc.;
- cardiac rhythm management (18.6%): implantable cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and automatic external defibrillators, cardiac ablation probes, etc.;
- vascular diseases and cardiac surgery (17.4%): coronary stents, endoprostheses for aortal pathologies, distal protection systems, catheters, heart valve prostheses, auto-transfusion equipment, cardiac ablation devices, etc.;
- spinal disorders (14.1%): spinal prostheses, disc prostheses, cerebral stimulation systems, bone graft technologies and mini-invasive spinal surgery, etc. The group also develops medical imagery-guided surgical navigation systems activity;
- neurovascular, ear, nose and throat (ENT) and pelvic diseases (8.2%);
- diabetes management (7.4%): internal and external glycemia monitoring systems and insulin pumps;
- neurological disorders (5.5%): neurostimulation and pumped medication administration products, diagnostic tools, etc.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Ireland (0.3%), the United States (50.9%) and other (48.8%).
MEDTRONIC PLC 
