In context
In late 2023, robotic-assisted surgery was expanding beyond large, expensive platforms toward more accessible, collaborative systems. Hospitals sought tools that could enhance surgeon capability without disrupting existing workflows or requiring extensive retraining. Moon Surgical's Maestro System, a collaborative robot designed to provide an extra pair of arms during laparoscopic procedures, was entering this competitive landscape.
What was reported
The Arnault Tzanck Institute in Nice, France, announced the successful completion of its first ten laparoscopic surgeries using the commercially-ready Maestro System. The procedures, performed by Dr. Benjamin Cadière and Dr. Georges Debs, included bariatric and abdominal surgeries, supporting the hospital's new weight-loss clinic.
The Maestro System provides surgeons with two additional instrument arms, managed to maintain optimal vision and tissue access throughout the procedure. This design aims to improve stability and precision while offering flexibility in operating room staffing. An earlier version had been used at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, but this marked the first use of the new commercial version, which features automated setup, digitized surgeon preferences, and design improvements for reduced cost and scalable manufacturing.
Dr. Cadière noted the system's intuitive integration and the stability it offers compared to human assistance, allowing surgeons to focus fully on the surgical gesture. Michel Salvadori, CEO of the institute, described it as potentially combining the best of conventional and robotic-assisted surgery.
“It provides us with stability and precision that are difficult to match with human assistance.”
Why it mattered
This deployment signaled a step toward more affordable and adaptable robotic systems in surgery, potentially enabling broader adoption in hospitals and addressing large patient populations—such as the 580,000 annual bariatric procedures globally—by improving OR efficiency and surgeon autonomy.
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2023-10-24 · “French institute completes inaugural robotics surgeries with Moon Surgical system”