Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) touted a 1,254-patient study today showing that patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci system to repair an inguinal hernia had fewer complications after 30 days compared to patients who had open surgery.
The study, published in Hernia: The World Journal of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery, was characterized by Intuitive as the largest multi-center comparative study of robotic-assisted and open surgery for inguinal hernia repair.
None of the patients in the robotic-assisted surgery group returned for reoperations related to the inguinal hernia repair procedure after 30 days. In contrast, five patients who received open surgery needed reoperations.
Both procedures demonstrated similar rates of intra- and post-operation complications before the patient was discharged, Intuitive noted.
“Results from this study support the adoption of robotic-assisted, minimally invasive repair for inguinal hernia,” Dr. Myriam Curet, EVP & CMO at Intuitive, said in prepared remarks.
“Most inguinal hernia surgeries are still performed via open surgery,” Curet added. “The lower rate of complications after discharge through 30 days—especially the lower reoperation numbers—show that appropriately selected patients may benefit from minimally invasive surgery for this procedure.”
ISRG shares were trading at $455.97 apiece today in mid-morning activity, up +1.7%.