We would like to address recent media coverage regarding a lawsuit filed on February 6, 2024.
At Intuitive, patient safety is our first priority. We extend our deepest sympathies to patients and their families who experience complications from any medical procedure. In alignment with our mission, we seek to design and develop safe and effective tools that enable surgeons to provide life-enhancing care for their patients.
There have been more than 14 million procedures performed using da Vinci surgical systems, and more than 38,000 scientific articles published that support the safety, effectiveness, and positive clinical outcomes for patients. Depending on the procedure, those benefits can include shorter recovery times, fewer surgical complications, and less blood loss.
Surgeons receive extensive training on our systems. More than 66,000 surgeons globally have trained through Intuitive programs, and surgical residency and fellowship institutions around the world teach surgeons when and how to use these minimally invasive tools.
Importantly, Intuitive, by regulation, provides technology training for surgeons for the da Vinci surgical system, not instruction on the practice of medicine. Intuitive’s training focuses on proficiency with our tools and Intuitive does not – in fact, cannot – credential surgeons to perform surgery.
Healthcare providers and hospitals grant their own credentialing and privileges to surgeons who wish to use our systems on patients in their facilities.
We cannot comment on this case at this time. We will respond as appropriate and through the courts once we have the opportunity to review the facts of this case.