Medtronic’s Hugo Robot Used in First European Surgery

Medtronic has achieved the first European clinical procedure for its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system. The robotic prostatectomy was performed at the OLV Hospital in Aalst, Belgium.
 
“Performing Europe’s very first procedure with the Hugo RAS system is a career highlight for me,” Prof. Alexandre Mottrie, M.D., head of urology at OLV Hospital, told the press. “With more than two decades and 4,000 robotic-assisted surgery procedures under my belt, I am intimately aware of the barriers that have kept the benefits of surgical robotics from physicians, hospitals, and patients. Now, I believe we are entering a new era filled with greater access and flexibility.”
 
“This is an exciting and important moment for healthcare in Europe and we’re proud to share it with Dr. Mottrie and the team at OLV,” said Megan Rosengarten, president of Medtronic’s Surgical Robotics business. “Dr. Mottrie has left a meaningful mark on our program over the many years we’ve worked together, and now, through our partnership with OLV, Medtronic’s journey to bring the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery to more patients in Europe is well underway.”
 
Hugo RAS is a modular, multi-quadrant platform for a broad array of soft-tissue surgeries. It features wristed instruments, 3D visualization, and Touch Surgery Enterprise—a cloud-based surgical video capture and management tool.
 
Hugo RAS was used in the first urologic and gynecologic procedures in Latin America and Asia-Pacific last year. Those surgeries and cases in Europe will become part of the Hugo RAS system patient registry.
 
“The Hugo RAS system introduces the long-awaited power of choice in the category and will redefine all that robotic-assisted surgery can make possible,” said Henk Westendorp, senior country director Benelux at Medtronic. “Medtronic thoughtfully designed the Hugo RAS system with surgeons in mind and patients at heart to tackle today’s barriers to adoption in a future-proofed way. We know that by innovating real solutions for the way surgeons want to work—alongside partners like OLV Hospital Aalst who share our passion for advancing patient care—we can make a substantial impact.”