Medtronic announced that the first U.S. commercial surgical case with its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system was successfully performed. The case was done by Jihad Kaouk, MD, professor and chair of the Glickman Urologic Institute and the Zegarac-Pollock Endowed Chair in Robotic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Kaouk successfully completed a robotic-assisted prostatectomy. The patient was discharged the day after surgery.

“This case exemplifies Cleveland Clinic’s mission to lead surgical innovation and expand access to minimally invasive surgery,” said Dr. Kaouk. “The new technology allows us to customize the approach for each patient case.”

Medtronic’s Hugo RAS received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for use in urologic surgical procedures in December. According to the company, urology has been the most adopted in robotic technology, with 80% of urologic abdominal surgeries in the U.S. today performed with a robotic system’s assistance.

The company said Hugo RAS’ mobile footprint with modular arms can help with operating room scheduling challenges and infrastructure limitations.

“We are excited that the first commercial case in the U.S. using the Hugo RAS system has been successfully completed by Dr. Kaouk and his team. Their pioneering spirit and collaboration reflect our shared vision that with new technology, like Hugo, more patients can access the benefits of minimally invasive surgery,” said Rajit Kamal, VP and general manager of Medtronic’s Robotic Surgical Technologies business. “The future of surgery isn’t about robotics as a separate modality, it’s about technology that enables surgical teams to deliver the best possible care for every patient. Medtronic is uniquely positioned to do that as the only company in the world that can partner with surgeons and hospitals across open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgery.”

Cleveland Clinic was a part of the Expand URO investigational device exemption (IDE) study that evaluated Hugo RAS for urologic surgeries. The study was hailed as the largest completed for multi-port, robotic-assisted urological surgery in the U.S. The system met primary and safety endpoints with outcomes that are consistent with published literature, Medtronic said.

In October, the company began the Embrace Gynecology IDE study. It will evaluate the Hugo RAS system’s use in robotic-assisted gynecological procedures.