Dual robotic surgery: Da Vinci SP® and Levita® MARS (magnetic-assisted robotic surgery) platforms.

Abstract

The applications of robotics in urology has been rapidly expanding since the introduction of the Da Vinci robotic platform in 2000. In recent years, there have been further developments in the robotic surgery space including advancements in Da Vinci's own robotic platform, the introduction of a single-port (SP^®) system, as well as new competitors and adjacent technology that has come to the market. One such technology is the magnetic-assisted robotic surgery (MARS^™) from Levita (Mountain View, CA). This system consists of a detachable magnetic grasper that can be placed within the body by a specialized laparoscopic instrument and manipulated from outside the body with an external magnet on a robotic arm that is surgeon controlled. Herein we describe the first dual robotic surgery employing MARS^™ during an SP^® transperitoneal robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), demonstrating its feasibility and potential applications for use in single-port surgery in particular.