“The actual cutting out of the prostate is done by the [da Vinci] robot, but the manipulation of adjacent tissues is done by the MARS magnetic robot,” Cadeddu explained. “Marrying the two in one operation — two robots, one controlling the grasper, one controlling the scissors and the dissection by the surgeon — that’s the novelty.”
MARS, launched in 2023, has been utilized independently for weight loss surgeries, gallbladder removals and colorectal procedures.
The plan is to use the dual technology in surgeries beyond prostate removal and to expand to other locations. Rodriguez-Navarro hopes to implement the technique in New York hospitals this year.