Intuitive Set a High Bar for New Entrants in Surgical Robotics

Intuitive Surgical is well aware that the field it has dominated for years is becoming increasingly competitive with new entrants. But CEO Gary Guthart always manages to sound confident during earnings calls and tends to let the numbers speak for themselves. The company reported global procedure growth of about 18% in the second quarter of 2018 compared with the second quarter of 2017, driven by the U.S. acceptance of Intuitive's da Vinci robotics system in general surgery, growth internationally, and the appreciation for improvement in surgery, Guthart noted during the company's most recent earnings call. "To take a simple example, our systems are available to start and able to complete cases with remarkable predictability, considering their use of a wide range of sophisticated technologies. This is a consequence of our holistic design and integration principles, the capability of our staff, and our deep commitment to understanding the surgical team’s world," Guthart said. "We believe this sets a high bar for new entrants in the eyes of the thousands of surgeons who use da Vinci weekly." Is the recent inflection in U.S. procedure growth sustainable? CFO Marshall Mohr seems to think it is. "Our customers are seeing real value in general surgery, particularly with the gen-four systems," Mohr said during the call, according to SeekingAlpha transcripts. Hernia repair and colorectal surgeries using da Vinci systems have led adoption, Mohr said, and the company has seen organic...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Business Source Type: news