The advent of laparoscopic surgery in the 1980s heralded a new wave of surgical techniques – dubbed "Surgery 2.0" – that allowed for safer procedures and better outcomes compared to previous-generation open surgery. Robotic devices, led by Intuitive Surgical Inc.'s da Vinci, rang in Surgery 3.0, which allowes even more precise and controlled procedures and, in turn, enables surgeons to treat ever tighter anatomical spaces and, potentially, more conditions. (Also see "Market Intel: Ever Decreasing Dimensions, Snakes And Origami: The Next-Gen Surgical Robots" - Medtech Insight, 28 February, 2017.).
Over the next few years, we will see yet another category of surgical solutions to address the limitations of today's robotics surgery and mark a new chapter – Surgery 4.0 – in this evolving sector