Latest news with #daVinciXi
Global News
28-04-2025
- Health
- Global News
Manitoba welcomes cutting-edge surgical robot
Manitoba's health care just got a high-tech upgrade with the debut of the province's first surgical robot, the da Vinci Xi, now operational at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg. The $3.5 million da Vinci Xi, funded through the HSC Foundation's Operation Excellence campaign, has already been used for about 135 surgical cases at the HSC so far. View image in full screen Surgeons control the robot from a console moving its wristed instruments — which bend and rotate beyond — while viewing the surgical site in a magnified image. HSC foundation 'Acquiring Manitoba's first surgical robot is a major milestone for patient care,' said Jonathon Lyon, president and CEO of HSC Foundation. 'With the robot, patients will experience less pain, less blood loss, and lower risks of complications.' Story continues below advertisement The machine is divided into three parts: the surgeon console, patient-side cart and the vision cart. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The surgeon sits in the console to control the robot's arms and surgical instruments. The side cart, which is next to the patient, holds the robot's arms, surgical equipment and the camera. And the vision cart helps support the 3D high-definition vision system, allowing the surgeon to get a clear picture of the operational zone. During the announcement, HSC shared the recovery journey of a 33-year-old construction worker who was diagnosed with lung cancer after coughing up blood in December. 'Because of the precision of the robot, we were able to completely remove his lung cancer by taking out a small section of a patient's lung,' said Dr. Gilly Akhtar-Danesh, a thoracic surgeon at the HSC. 'The patient was discharged the next morning' Akhtar-Danesh added that the patient was able to return to work in under two weeks. View image in full screen HSC says that with robotic surgery, they're seeing a reduction in surgical complications, better post-surgery patient recovery and decreased surgical wait times. The da Vinci Xi will be used for thoracic surgeries (lung and esophageal cancer procedures), gynecologic oncology cases and urologic surgeries.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-04-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Surgical robot officially revealed
Manitoba's first surgical robot was officially unveiled at an event at Health Sciences Centre on Monday. Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci Xi has four surgical arms operated by highly sensitive controls. The machine has been in use at HSC since at least February. It is currently being used for thoracic surgery (usually lung and esophageal procedures). gynecologic cancer surgery and urology. It allows surgeons to reach parts of the anatomy that aren't easily accessible with traditional surgical instruments. 'The da Vinci Xi, in essence, extends the capabilities of a surgeon's hands and a surgeon's eyes. The robot's arms move better and with more stability than is possible for human hands; and the enhanced scopes and visualization technology helps us see even the smallest parts of the anatomy with extreme clarity,' Dr. Edward Buchel, HSC's surgery site director, said in a written announcement posted on the foundation's website. The machine was funded by the Health Sciences Centre Foundation's Operation Excellence campaign, in partnership with the province. 'Acquiring Manitoba's first surgical robot is a major milestone for patient care,' foundation CEO Jonathon Lyon said in the announcement. 'The robot is a shining example of how new technology can help us achieve our goals to end surgical wait times. With the robot, patients will experience less pain, less blood loss and lower risks of complications. And because patients treated with the robot are typically discharged from the hospital in a day or two, we'll see better patient flow, a reduced burden on the emergency department and an increase in in-patient bed availability.' An Ji Li, a 33-year-old thoracic patient, suddenly began coughing up blood in December. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent robotic surgery at HSC in February. He was discharged the next day. 'When you hear the word 'cancer,' everything stops. But knowing I had access to this technology gave me real hope,' Li said. fpcity@
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Access to cancer care matters': Physicians discuss advancements in cancer care and technology
SPRINGFIELD — Cancer treatment has come a long way from a time when women faced the choice of either dying of untreated breast cancer or undergoing disfiguring mastectomies. Doctors can now place a tiny magnetic seed ( known as a Magseed) in a woman's breast to point them to suspicious tissue. 'It's extraordinarily evolutionary,' said Dr. Sarah McPartland, a general surgeon at Trinity Health of New England in Springfield who has clinical interests in women's health. Dying of breast cancer used to be 'shameful,' and options were limited, McPartland explained at an event on April 17 to discuss advancements in cancer care. McPartland was among four physicians from both Mercy Medical Center and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, who spoke on the panel, which was held at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Prior to new research and technology, the most commonly used method to remove cancer cells from breasts was known as the Halsted mastectomy, which removed 'everything that cancer could touch,' including a woman's breasts, chest muscles and armpit lymph nodes, said McPartland. It was the standard practice to follow the Halsted mastectomy, McPartland said, but there were problems: It required skin grafting from other parts of the body and caused swelling and intense chronic pain for patients. 'It was a 'choice' between loss of limb or loss of life,' she said. It wasn't until the 1980s and 1990s when a woman with a breast cancer diagnosis could hear about their diagnosis and procedure before going under the knife, she said. Dr. Laki Rousou, a thoracic surgeon at Mercy Medical Center and one of the panelists, described his overarching goal of bringing 'care you expect in a Boston or a New York to Springfield.' Rousou, who grew up in Western Massachusetts, completed his 1,000th robotic cardiothoracic surgery using the da Vinci Xi surgical system in May 2024. 'When you're trying to expand access, it's often a moving target,' he said, noting that many people who live in this part of the state are often unable to get to Boston or New York for care. Rousou predominantly treats lung cancer. Between 2016 and 2020 in Massachusetts, close to 15,000 people died from lung cancer, the cancer with the highest mortality rate during that time period, according to data from the state Department of Public Health. 'We usually find it at Stage III or IV — and it's hard to treat at that stage," he said. Rousou and his team have since brought a technology called Illumisite, which diagnoses and finds tumorous cells in the lungs. Mercy Medical Center is the first hospital to get this technology in Western Massachusetts, and among of the first to get the technology in the country. Since crossing the 1,000 surgery mark last year, Rousou has performed 300 more cardiothoracic surgeries using the da Vinci Xi robot, he said Thursday. Surgeons are fully in control of the robot during surgery, allowing it to precisely suture patients back up. Eighty percent of the operations he has performed are to remove cancer, he said. 'It's a remarkable technology that gets patients to leave the hospital and get back to their lives sooner,' he said. 'Cancer outcomes are better with minimally invasive surgery.' Rousou also developed a lung cancer screening program at Mercy Medical, which was approved by Medicare a decade ago. The screening program allows for early detection. 'Smoking cessation is the primary prevention,' he said, but screening is second. Since starting the program, the hospital has screened close to 5,000 patients, and it positively identified 251 people with lung cancer. 'Previously, a majority of our patients were Stage III and IV, but now they are mainly Stage I and II,' he said. Dr. Christopher Lathan, the chief clinical access and equity officer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, spoke about how he and his team pioneered a bridge between cancer treatment facilities and marginalized communities. Lathan, who is originally from Springfield, specializes in lung cancer. He said he wants to improve health outcomes for communities with medical mistrust. 'Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S.,' he said, and 'significant disparities exist.' Recent federal cuts to National Institute of Health grants for cancer research threaten the future of advancements in cancer care technology, Lathan said. 'As you attack science, there are consequences,' he said. 'How do people trust what's going on?' Lathan said that doctors in cancer care often work around their own schedules, not a patient's schedule, which often is harmful to the patient. Factors like accessibility, fears, stigma or lack of trust can leave a person not wanting to follow up on a diagnosis, he said. 'Access to cancer care matters, and the need for relevant, impactful, inclusive, high-quality care for underserved populations who have historically been marginalized is imperative,' he said. 'It's not a zero-sum game.' Part of the work he has done while at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is to implement a program that is community-focused. 'We actively and proactively engage with marginalized communities,' he said, explaining that members of his team are familiar with the communities they spend time in, like Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury — neighborhoods in Boston — and go there often to build trust. Since rolling out this program, Lathan said he's seen over 1,000 patients, and there has been a decrease in no-show patients, but an increase in referrals and new patient diagnostics, he said. 'Being present in the community has brought our diagnosis timeline down from 32 days to 12 days,' he said. Motion to suppress alcohol evidence in deadly Longmeadow crash allowed Springfield makes grants available for agencies serving low and moderate-income residents Trump administration rescinds grant to address asthma in Western Massachusetts Runway show in Springfield aims to demonstrate fashion is for all Read the original article on MassLive. Read the original article on MassLive.
Globe and Mail
24-04-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Is Intuitive Surgical Stock a Buy?
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) has rewarded long-term investors by climbing nearly 200% over the past five years. This is thanks to the company's leadership in a hot growth area: robotic surgery. Hospitals and surgeons have turned more and more to robotic systems for a wide range of procedures as they've helped boost efficiency and improve outcomes. Intuitive Surgical's flagship product, the da Vinci surgical system, has helped it dominate the market and steadily grow revenue and profit over the years. Momentum continued in the recent quarter, with Intuitive Surgical on Tuesday reporting double-digit growth in procedures and revenue. But today this market giant faces one big challenge and that's the potential impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs on imports -- and retaliatory tariffs from China. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » The tariff situation has weighed on Intuitive Surgical's shares, dragging them down about 8% so far this year -- the positive point is that's made the stock cheaper for investors. Considering the full picture, is Intuitive Surgical a buy right now, or is the tariff situation a red flag? Let's take a closer look. The da Vinci platform First, a glance at the Intuitive Surgical story so far. The company's da Vinci platform is used across a wide range of minimally invasive procedures, from hernia repair to hysterectomy and gastric bypass. The company offers four versions of the da Vinci, including the most recent da Vinci 5. This latest system offers 10,000 times the computing power of the da Vinci Xi -- previously the most powerful of the bunch. The da Vinci 5 supercharges operating room workflow and data analytics, improving processes and outcomes. One major element has kept Intuitive Surgical in its leading position in surgical robotics -- a market that, at an estimated compound annual growth rate of about 15%, is expected to reach more than $25 billion by 2032. . Intuitive Surgical's fantastic competitive advantage is linked to the fact that surgeons trained on the da Vinci represent a significant investment for hospitals. Surgeons generally aim to stick with a system that's familiar to them, and hospitals aim to amortize their investment in robotic systems by using the platform over time. All of this has helped keep Intuitive Surgical in the lead. Another reason for Intuitive Surgical's success is it doesn't only benefit from selling surgical robots. It actually brings in even more revenue from the sales of instruments and accessories used for each procedure. For example, in the latest quarter, surgical systems generated $522 million in revenue, while instruments and accessories brought in $1.3 billion. Each da Vinci system represents a source of recurring revenue. All of this has helped Intuitive Surgical grow its da Vinci installed base of systems to 10,189 as of the end of March. Quarterly revenue advanced 19% to top $2.2 billion, net income climbed 28% to $698 million, and Intuitive Surgical ended the period with more than $9 billion in cash. Tariff impact ahead Now let's look at what might be on the horizon for this surgical robot powerhouse, and that's the potential impact of import tariffs. Donald Trump's tariff system changes quickly, but it looks like Intuitive Surgical may feel the pressure from various angles. The company imports into China subassemblies for da Vinci production for the local market On this, it will face 125% Chinese tariffs. Intuitive Surgical also imports components into the U.S. from China, and on these the tariff level is 145% as I write this. The company's imports from other countries outside the U.S. will be subject to a 10% tariff for now, but this could change after the current 90-day tariff negotiation period. Finally, a small number of Intuitive Surgical's imports from Mexico could face tariffs of 25%. Intuitive Surgical expects that all of this will result in an impact of 1.7% on revenue this year, with gross profit margin in the range of 65% to 66.5% of revenue compared to 69.1% last year. The company says it will study the impact of tariffs on its cost of sales and demand for its products, and if impact is lasting it would consider "mitigating operational actions." Meanwhile, Intuitive Surgical stock isn't necessarily cheap, trading at 60 times forward earnings estimates, but that's down from 80 late last year. Time to buy? Is this stock a buy? It's important to note that Intuitive Surgical isn't alone in facing tariffs. Most companies, across industries, import materials or goods and will feel the impact of these duties. So, I wouldn't stay away from a stock for this reason. What's most important is the company's ability to handle this headwind, and here, I'm confident about Intuitive Surgical. The company has a solid track record of growth, a strong competitive position, a mountain of cash, and already is speaking of making moves to limit the tariff impact if needed. On top of this, even with the projected impact of current tariffs, Intuitive Surgical remains highly profitable. All of this makes Intuitive Surgical a great stock to buy on the dip and one to hold. It has what it takes to weather the tariff storm and deliver growth over the long term. Should you invest $1,000 in Intuitive Surgical right now? Before you buy stock in Intuitive Surgical, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Intuitive Surgical wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $561,046!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $606,106!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is811% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to153%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of April 21, 2025
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Down 18%, Should You Buy the Dip on Intuitive Surgical Stock?
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) was a pioneer in minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery technology, and its leadership in the field has long been a key edge for the company. Thanks to strong sales growth and climbing profitability over the past two decades, it has rewarded long-term shareholders handsomely: The stock has returned a staggering 24,632% since its 2003 initial public offering. Yet even the best companies can't escape the stock market's regular ups and downs. At the time of this writing, global economic concerns and Intuitive Surgical's mixed outlook have caused shares of the medical device giant to drop by about 18% from the all-time high they set in January. But has this sell-off created a buy-the-dip opportunity, or is it a signal that more turbulence is ahead? Robotic-assisted surgeries have revolutionized healthcare. By allowing surgeons to operate via much smaller incisions, they generally result in reduced blood loss for patients, faster recovery times, and improved outcomes. Surgeons performed nearly 2.7 million procedures using Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci system in 2024 alone -- twice as many as five years ago. The company's new da Vinci 5 system, cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year, marks a transformative leap in capabilities. With more than 150 design advancements and 10,000 times more computing power than the previous da Vinci Xi model, it's poised to drive Intuitive's sales growth for years to come. That said, the full launch of the da Vinci 5 may cause some near-term operating and financial volatility for the company as hospitals and surgical centers gradually transition to the new platform. Intuitive is guiding for total da Vinci procedure volume to increase by between 13% and 16% in 2025 -- a solid figure but also a slight slowdown on a percentage basis compared to the 17% growth pace last year. Similarly, the company anticipates a modestly lower operating margin, given the shifting sales mix and costs related to the da Vinci 5 rollout. The impacts of all this are evident in Wall Street's earnings estimates for the company. The consensus projection among analysts tracked by Yahoo! Finance is that Intuitive Surgical's earnings per share (EPS) will grow by 9.6% in 2025, well below last year's 28.5% growth pace. Nevertheless, the deceleration may be temporary; analysts foresee EPS growth reaccelerating toward 17.5% in 2026. By this measure, analysts view 2025 as a transitional year that will lay the groundwork for stronger momentum in 2026 and beyond. Metric 2024 2025 Estimate 2026 Estimate Revenue growth (YOY) 17.2% 14.9% 15.6% Earnings per share (EPS) $7.34 $8.06 $9.47 EPS growth (YOY) 28.5% 9.8% 17.5% Data source: Yahoo! Finance. YOY = Year over year. By all accounts, Intuitive Surgical is in great shape and on track to continue delivering profitable growth, although the muted trends for 2025 may explain some of the recent stock price weakness. Another concern could be the evolving competitive landscape in the robotic-assisted surgery space. While the da Vinci system is unmatched in the number of approved indications worldwide, several major healthcare sector players are introducing their own surgical robotic platforms. These include the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system from Medtronic, the Luna platform from Asensus Surgical, and Johnson & Johnson's Ottava robot. Some potential Intuitive customers could be tempted by these alternatives, possibly at lower prices. Chief Financial Officer Jamie Samath noted that the competitors seeking FDA clearance for their machines or that have products already available internationally could at least lead to delays in new customer orders for Intuitive. On the fourth quarter earnings conference call, Samath said: What you're seeing is an increasing number of competitors get clearances in various markets, including in the U.S. ... So, we're just acknowledging that as competition increases, there is the possibility outside of China, the selling cycles could lengthen. All this is occuring against a backdrop where shares of Intuitive Surgical command a premium valuation. The stock is trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 63, just above its decade average of about 62. But in that decade, the company's growth was accelerating. A scenario where sales trends or earnings begin to disappoint could lead to further downside in the stock, a risk investors will need to balance. There's a lot to like about Intuitive Surgical as a leader at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Still, even after the latest dip, I believe the stock is too expensive to jump into and buy aggressively. I sense that the company will struggle to exceed expectations this year, potentially limiting the stock's upside. Longtime shareholders can continue holding, but investors watching from the sidelines may find better opportunities elsewhere. Before you buy stock in Intuitive Surgical, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Intuitive Surgical wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $461,558!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $578,035!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 730% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 147% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of April 5, 2025 Dan Victor has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Down 18%, Should You Buy the Dip on Intuitive Surgical Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool
