A Growing Use of Robotic Surgery in Japan

Robotic surgery appears to be gaining wide acceptance in Japan. Integrated Surgical Systems, Inc. (ISS, Davis, CA, USA) has announced an order for two more robotic surgery systems from Imatron, its distributor in Japan. By the second quarter, a total of six robotic systems will be operating in Japan.

ISS's image-directed, semi-autonomous robotic surgery system, called Robodoc, is used for total joint arthroplasty, such as hip replacement surgery. The system consists of a robotic arm assembly and a PC-based 3-D planning station. A companion system called NeuroMate is designed for use in stereotactic brain surgery.

"There is so much interest in the Robodoc system in Japan that we anticipate installing many more systems in 2001 and beyond,” said M. Kinoshita, president of Imatron-Japan. "The surgeons, who have had the opportunity to observe a surgery either here or in Germany, are absolutely convinced of the technology and its clinical potential.”



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