Photos: Robotic surgeons

by ZDNet Author | February 12, 2008 4:00pm PST | Image 1 of 4

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Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Intuitive Surgical makes this Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system that's widely used for high-precision prostate surgery and is being adopted for other procedures.

The system was first launched in 1999 and in 2000 became the first robotic surgical system cleared by the FDA for general laparoscopic surgery, the company says. It's since been cleared for chest, cardiac, urological, and gynecological procedures.

There are now more than 650 Da Vinci systems installed in hospitals worldwide, and the company is apparently making investors happy--almost "giddy," according to The New York Times.

The company reported "2007 was the third consecutive year in which sales grew more than 60 percent. And the company beat every expectation Wall Street had for the fourth quarter: sales, income, number of robots sold, profit margins, you name it," The Times reported. "Moreover, Intuitive predicted that sales would grow 40 percent this year, to $841 million with profits likewise soaring, to $4.92 a share. Those projections were ahead of the analysts' consensus forecast."

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