High equipment costs and complex logistics have long stood as barriers for ASCs looking to expand their robotic-assisted surgical offerings—something that Intuitive Surgical is trying to change.
The company, known for its Da Vinci and Ion robotic surgical systems, has made notable strides in the ASC space, according to a recently released case study from Indianapolis-based Community Health Network.
The case study details Intuitive’s launch of an outpatient robotic-assisted program in partnership with the health system. Facing persistent OR capacity constraints and scheduling bottlenecks at the primary hospital facility, Intuitive worked with CHN to place a da Vinci system at Community Surgery Center North, a hospital-affiliated ASC in Indianapolis. The goal of the case study was to migrate lower-acuity robotic cases—primarily benign gynecologic procedures and hernia repairs–into a more cost-efficient setting.
In its first year, the CSCN program serviced more than 300 cases against an initial goal of 150—double the projected volume, according to the report. By 2021, annual case volume had climbed to more than 430, with 17 surgeons using the system across gynecology and general surgery. More than 1,000 robotic procedures were completed in the ASC between 2019 and 2021.
In addition to expanding access, the program won big with new patients. Those surveyed gave the ASC a 96% satisfaction rating, according to the report.
The program was a win for the hospital, too, an important note as ASCs become a strategic imperative for health systems across the U.S. Freeing up inpatient OR space allowed CHN to grow its own surgical program at its primary hospital campus by 7%, adding roughly 150 complex thoracic and colorectal cases per year from new surgeons. The program’s ripple effect continued with more than 800 non-robotic procedures per year being brought to the center, boosting overall ASC volume.
The ASC push comes as Intuitive is also broadening da Vinci’s clinical scope. In January, the company announced FDA 510(k) clearance for the da Vinci 5 system in a range of cardiac procedures, including mitral valve repair and internal mammary artery mobilization for cardiac revascularization.
While cardiac surgery has historically required full hospital infrastructure, certain cardiovascular procedures have been trending toward outpatient and same-day discharge in select patient populations — suggesting that Intuitive’s outpatient ambitions may eventually extend beyond general surgery and gynecology into higher-acuity specialties.
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