Embattled robot-assisted surgical devices maker Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) announced another retrospective analysis today touting its da Vinci system over open prostate surgery.
Researchers examined surgical outcomes for more than 71,300 radical prostatectomies performed between 2004 and 2010, finding that robot-assisted improved procedural outcomes even in a surgeon’s 1st robot-assisted prostatectomies, improving over time as docs grew more familiar with the platform.
"The study shows that even in the 1st 25 cases, robotic-assisted prostatectomies resulted in fewer complications and shorter hospital stays than open surgery," Intuitive Surgical chief medical advisor Dr. Myriam Curet said in prepared remarks.
There also appeared to be a halo effect for hospitals that offer both open and robot-assisted prostatectomies, where transfusion rates, complications rates and average hospital stays were shorter than for open surgeries at non-robotic hospitals, according to an Intuitive Surgical press release.
The retrospective study featured a host of limitations, study authors warned, including a "a lack of cost figures, functional outcomes, pathologic endpoints, and disease-free status, which therefore result in only a partial analysis of comparative effectiveness. In addition, unknown patient selection differences may exist between the open and robotic-assisted groups."
The report is the latest in a string of Intuitive Surgical studies touting robot-assisted surgery over open surgery, but the advantages over other minimally invasive techniques is a source of some debate.
Some studies have criticized da Vinci procedures as a costlier type of minimally invasive surgery that confers little benefits over laparoscopic procedures. A study published earlier this year found that robotic surgery complications may be under-reported and therefore less safe than they appear, a conclusion Intuitive called "misleading." Studies published last year raised similar concerns regarding robotic surgery prostatectomies and robotic surgeries to treat endometrial cancer.
ISRG shares gained on Wall Street today, trading at $386.88 as of about 2:40 p.m., a 1.7% increase. Shares have increased 2.5% since the start of the year.
