HCA Florida Kendall Hospital and The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial successfully completed the first U.S. patient procedures using Hominis, the first and only FDA-authorized surgical robot that features miniature humanoid-shaped arms, with shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints that provide high dexterity and unprecedented articulation.
The two hospitals that completed the procedures were among the first three U.S. centers to adopt the platform back in January of this year.
Dr. Ricardo E. Estape, a practicing gynecologic oncologist at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital and director of HCA Healthcare’s Institute for Gynecologic Oncology, said in a news release that Hominis provides significant benefits to both surgeons and patients, allowing the hospital to perform robotic surgery through “a very novel vaginal approach.”
Memic, which in March called off a SPAC deal that would have taken it public, designed the Hominis system to replicate the motions and capabilities of a surgeon’s arms, requiring a smaller footprint with lower costs than conventional robotic systems. It received de novo marketing authorization from the FDA in February 2021.
Dr. Moises Lichtinger, gynecologist at University of Miami Health System and The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial, said the new system leverages the transvaginal approach that offers less pain, lower infection rates, faster recovery, and virtually no visible scarring.
Memic said the platform requires a “much smaller” footprint with significantly lower costs than conventional robotic systems, offering more availability to hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.
“It is very encouraging to see the first two U.S. commercial sites actively performing benign gynecological procedures using our Hominis System and we are grateful for their support,” Memic President and CEO Dvir Cohen said in the release. “Hominis is well-positioned as a disruptive technology that will transform the way surgeons perform minimally invasive robotic-assisted procedures. We look forward to its continued use in the South Florida region and widespread adoption as we work to expand across the U.S. and worldwide.”
