Interview, Conference Presentation
The Future of Robotic Surgery
- Normalized volume levels are steadily recovering monthly into July, reaching approximately 90 percent.
- Future growth over the next five years is expected to stem from snake-like instruments accessing previously unreachable body parts, with kidney stones as a new application area and colonoscopy technology transitioning to therapeutics following lung cancer diagnostics.
- Future clinical implementations will include hyperspectral imaging for tissue layer visualization, imaging agents for tumor removal accuracy, and virtual reality training enhanced by machine learning.
- Surgical guidance will evolve into a "GPS system" for computer oversight of cutting locations and tool use, with robots scheduled to perform suturing within five to 10 years before operating in "airplane mode" where the robot executes more of the procedure while the surgeon remains present.
- 5G technology will eliminate network delays to enable remote surgery, likely allowing surgeons in one region to perform procedures in another, potentially reducing the number of people in the operating room and accelerating development efforts in the context of COVID.
- The U.S. market is projected to grow from $4 billion today to $10 billion by 2025 and $17 billion by 2030, representing a 10% CAGR through 2030, with procedural volume reaching 3.5 million by 2025 (16% penetration) and 7 million by 2030 (30% penetration).
- Approximately 20% of U.S. operating rooms are expected to have a robot installed by 2030, while the worldwide market is forecasted to reach $14 billion by 2025 and $24 billion by 2030, driven by soft tissue, endoluminal, and hard tissue applications.
- The procedure penetration rate of 17% by 2030 may be significantly higher than current projections.