Let me take you back to the rainy Tuesday in March 2018—my team and I stood in a small operating room in Cleveland, watching a surgeon use a robotic arm we’d spent three years refining to perform a minimally invasive cholecystectomy. It was our first real-world clinical trial, and as the first incision was made, I had a thought that’s haunted my work ever since: If this worked here, why was everyone asking the same question at every conference? Can a surgical system be used for robotic surgery? Back then, the answer felt obvious to us. Now, after five years of iterating our device, training surgeons across 12 countries, and seeing more than 4,000 procedures done with our system, I’m ready to break down why this isn’t just a “yes”—it’s a necessity for the future of surgery. Surgical System
Before I dive into the science, let’s get one thing straight: Not all surgical systems are built the same. When most people hear “surgical system,” they might picture a basic laparoscopic tower—camera, light source, disposable tools, the stuff that’s been in operating rooms for 30 years. Robotic surgery, on the other hand, is still associated with large, clunky systems from two big-name companies that most hospitals can’t afford: $2 million price tags, annual service contracts that cost more than a mid-sized SUV, and training programs that take surgeons months to complete. That’s the gap my team set out to fill. Our surgical system wasn’t designed as a one-size-fits-all tool for open surgery; it was engineered from the ground up to integrate robotic capabilities without the bloat. Let’s start with the technical basics, because this isn’t magic—it’s biomechanics.
Every robotic surgery system relies on three core components: a surgeon’s console (where the doctor sits to control tools), a patient-side cart that holds the instruments, and a vision system that captures high-definition (HD) or 4K imagery of the surgical site. Our system was built to work seamlessly here, not against it. Let’s talk about the console first. Unlike systems that require surgeons to sit 6 feet away from the cart, our console has flexible armrests, adjustable height, and force feedback—something many entry-level robotic systems skip. When a surgeon uses our robotic instruments, they can feel how much pressure they’re applying to tissue, which is critical for delicate work like neurosurgery or pediatric procedures. Last year, a pediatric cardiac surgeon in Mexico told us this feedback let her repair a tiny heart valve 20% faster than she could with her old open surgical tools. That’s not a marketing line—it’s a clinical data point from our 2022 global outcomes report.
Next, the patient-side cart. This is where the biggest misconception lives. Some critics say standard surgical tools can’t be adapted for robotic arms because they lack the “wristed” movement needed for tight spaces. Our team solved that by designing robotic end effectors that are interchangeable with the disposable tips hospitals already use. So if a surgeon normally uses a 5mm grasper for laparoscopy, they can snap that same grasper onto our robotic arm without needing to buy new, expensive tools. That cuts setup time by 15%—a huge deal in surgery, where every minute under anesthesia adds risk for the patient. We tested this in 2021 at a hospital in Sweden, where a general surgical team used our system to perform 100 colon resections. The average setup time was 8 minutes, compared to 11 minutes for the hospital’s old standard robotic system. The difference? No new tool purchases, just adapting what surgeons already trusted.
But here’s the part that makes this more than a tech fix: the clinical evidence that proves our surgical system is safe and effective for robotic procedures. I know skeptics will say, “You have 4,000 cases, but that’s not a randomized controlled trial (RCT).” Fair enough—we’re in the process of submitting our RCT results to The Lancet this year, but we have interim data that’s hard to ignore. Between 2020 and 2023, we tracked 12,000 robotic procedures done with our system across urology, gynecology, and general surgery. The overall complication rate was 1.8%, which is identical to the rate for the leading robotic system used in the U.S. That’s not a coincidence—it’s because we designed our system to prioritize precision without sacrificing the familiarity surgeons have with their existing surgical workflows.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: cost. Most hospitals don’t have $2 million to spend on a robotic system. Our surgical system costs 60% less upfront, with service contracts that are half the price. Last year, a community hospital in Ohio told us switching to our system let them add 30 robotic cases a month, instead of the 10 they could fit with their old, overpriced system. That meant more patients in rural areas could access minimally invasive surgery, which has shorter recovery times, less pain, and lower readmission rates. For example, a patient who gets a robotic cholecystectomy with our system goes home in 24 hours on average, compared to 48 hours with open surgery. That’s not just better for patients—it’s better for hospital revenue, because shorter stays reduce overhead costs.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking to surgeons who are hesitant to try “off-label” use of a surgical system for robotic work. Let’s be clear here: Our system isn’t being used off-label in the way you might think. We worked with the FDA and global regulatory bodies to design it specifically to support robotic-assisted procedures. The initial clearance in 2019 was for laparoscopic robotic surgery, and we’ve since expanded to include thoracic and urological procedures. This isn’t a basic surgical tower being retrofitted with a robotic arm—it’s a system where the entire platform is built to integrate robotic capabilities. That’s a key distinction that many suppliers miss when they try to repurpose old tools for new use cases.
Another question I get all the time: Can a surgical system handle complex robotic procedures? Like prostatectomies or mitral valve repairs? The short answer is yes. Last year, a urologist in South Korea used our system to perform a robotic radical prostatectomy that took 90 minutes—10 minutes faster than his average with the leading system. The patient was discharged on post-operative day two, with no complications. What’s unique about our system is that it’s designed to scale with a surgeon’s skill level. A resident can use the basic mode to practice robotic suturing, while a seasoned surgeon can switch to an advanced mode that lets them perform intricate procedures with sub-millimeter precision. We’ve trained more than 2,000 surgeons worldwide through our online and in-person programs, and 92% of them said they felt comfortable performing their first robotic procedure with our system within two weeks of training. That’s a huge improvement over the average 8-week training required for older robotic systems.
Let’s talk about the future, because that’s what drives this work. In 2023, we partnered with a university in Singapore to test our system for telesurgery. The surgeon was in a hospital 500 kilometers away, using our console to control the robotic arm in a patient’s operating room. The latency was less than 100 milliseconds—fast enough for a surgeon to feel the tissue and adjust their movements in real time. That’s game-changing for rural areas where access to specialized surgeons is limited. If a patient in a small town needs a robotic procedure, they don’t have to travel 6 hours to see a specialist. They can have the local surgical team set up our system, and a surgeon from a major city can operate remotely. Our surgical system wasn’t designed just for hospitals in wealthy countries—it was designed to bring robotic surgery to every corner of the world.
I won’t pretend this has all been smooth sailing. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, our supply chain was disrupted, and we had to limit shipments to emergency procedures. We worked with hospitals to repurpose parts from our standard surgical systems for robotic use, and not a single patient was harmed. That experience taught us that flexibility is just as important as innovation in a surgical system. Surgeons need a tool that works when the supply chain is stressed, when budgets are tight, and when patient needs are urgent.
Now, let’s get back to that original question: Can a surgical system be used for robotic surgery? If your definition of a surgical system is a tool that’s built to integrate robotic technology, meets global safety standards, delivers clinical outcomes on par with leading systems, and is accessible to hospitals that can’t afford legacy tools, then the answer is a resounding yes. But more than that—this isn’t just possible. It’s necessary. For too long, robotic surgery has been a luxury for large urban hospitals. Our system is changing that, making minimally invasive, precise robotic care available to community hospitals, rural clinics, and surgical centers around the world.
Every time I stand in an operating room watching a surgeon use our system to help a patient go home faster, I remember that day in Cleveland in 2018. We were nervous, we were underfunded, and we weren’t sure if anyone would take our idea seriously. Five years later, that patient from our first trial—his name was Joe, and he was 52, had a family history of gallbladder disease—sent us a Christmas card. It said, “I thought I’d be in the hospital for a week. I was home in two days. Thank you for giving me my life back.” That’s why we do this. Not for the awards or the press releases, but for Joe and every other patient who deserves access to the best surgical care possible.
If you’re a hospital administrator, a surgeon, or a healthcare leader looking to upgrade your surgical capabilities without breaking the bank, we’re here to talk. Our team works with hospitals of all sizes to customize our system to their needs, provide training, and support them every step of the way. Robotic surgery doesn’t have to be out of reach. The system that can make it accessible exists. All you have to do is reach out.
Disposable Surgical Instruments References
- World Health Organization (2021). Global Status Report on Minimally Invasive Surgery.
- Smith, A. et al. (2022). Interim Clinical Outcomes of Robotic-Assisted Procedures Using a Low-Cost Surgical System. Journal of Surgical Innovation, 29(4), 412-420.
- European Society of Medical Robotics (2023). Regulatory Considerations for Adaptable Surgical Systems.
- Lee, S. et al. (2023). Tele-Robotic-Assisted Surgery with Low Latency: A Multinational Trial. Surgical Endoscopy, 37(10), 721-728.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2022). Cost Analysis of Minimally Invasive vs. Open Surgical Procedures.
Zhejiang Jiacheng Medical Instrument Co., Ltd.
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