Surgeons in Santiago, Chile, performed the world’s first robotic surgeries using the Levita MARS robotic platform, leveraging the Meta Quest 3 headset and the B. Braun Aesculap EinsteinVision 3D camera in a series of ten operations. 

The surgeries combined 3D visualization and augmented reality (AR), marking a significant step forward in improving surgical speed, visualization, precision, and patient outcomes.

The surgeries were performed at Hospital Luis Tisné, part of the governmental healthcare system in Chile. They showcase the technology’s potential to make advanced robotic procedures more accessible to public hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ACS), where healthcare resources are often limited.

Dr. Rodriguez Navarro, a minimally invasive surgeon and CEO of Silicon Valley-based Levita Magnetics, was instrumental in developing the MARS robotic platform. This FDA-cleared robotic system features Levita’s Dynamic Magnetic Positioning technology, allowing surgeons to maneuver instruments inside the body using magnets. 

“In surgery, viewing is everything, and this is a major leap forward in surgical visualization,” said Dr. Rodriguez Navarro. “The surgeon-controlled stable surgical view provided by the MARS robotic system enables us to incorporate augmented reality and 3D visualization, allowing for an unprecedented improvement in surgical view. Our goal is to empower the surgeon with the capabilities to provide a safer, faster, and more precise procedure. This is a real-world application of AR and 3D that will truly transform the way surgery is performed.”

By incorporating immersive 3D visualization into the surgeon’s view from the operating table, Levita is enhancing visibility and depth perception, resulting in more efficient surgeries. AR headsets offer the ability to enlarge and reposition the 3D view on the dynamic screen, making surgeries more ergonomic while keeping the surgeon closely connected to the patient within the sterile surgical field. AR headsets project a high-definition virtual screen directly in front of the surgeon, marking the first step toward a fully integrated virtual diagnostics dashboard.

“The use of augmented reality in robotic surgeries is a pioneering advancement in the public system in Chile and worldwide, allowing us to improve precision in abdominal surgeries,” said Dr. Osvaldo Salgado, the Vice Minister of Health in Chile. “These surgical interventions were performed using augmented reality and the Levita robotic platform, allowing the patient’s internal structures to be visualized in 3D and improving safety and efficiency.”

As the platform continues to evolve, the Levita team is working to integrate artificial intelligence (AI), enabling real-time surgery data analysis. This AI-powered innovation will improve decision-making during the procedure and will in the future provide automation for surgical tasks.