Embracing industry in the development of robotic coronary bypass grafting—the sun rises in the East

Abstract

The introduction of robotic surgical devices nearly two decades ago led to a significant reduction in the invasiveness of cardiac procedures. The further worldwide implementation of robotic surgical devices in cardiac surgery, especially coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve repair or replacement, has, however, been stalled by numerous challenges. First, there is the high complexity of the procedures that involve a significant learning curve; second, there is the significant cost of robotic surgical devices. Furthermore, significant changes in the medical device regulation have occurred in recent years, hindering further technological development and the emergence of new players on the market. Finally, clinical evidence regarding the benefits of robotic-cardiac procedures remains scarce at this time. We invited all players active in or planning to throw themselves into robotic-assisted cardiac surgery to discuss these challenges in a semi-structured interview. Two promising and ambitious companies showed interest in participating in this project: Medicaroid and SS Innovations. The main conclusions from the interview are that both companies aim (I) to launch an affordable alternative compared to the current robotic surgical devices, (II) to further develop their robotic devices based on the opinion of physicians, and (III) to engage in overcoming the steep learning curve correlated with robotic-assisted cardiac procedures.