COLUMBUS, Ohio – On April 4, 2024, a surgical team at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) was among the first in the United States to perform a surgery using the recently U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved da Vinci 5 robotic system. The successful 40-minute surgery, a gastric devascularization, was led by Robert Merritt, MD, director of thoracic surgery at OSUCCC – James, and a team of operating room staff at Ohio State. “For our patients, robotics means a minimally invasive surgery, going home from the hospital faster and a quicker recovery time to their baseline function,” said Merritt, also clinical professor of surgery at Ohio State College of Medicine. “Also, for our patients with cancer, often times they have other treatments planned after surgery, like chemotherapy. A faster recovery time after surgery allows them to move on to their next line of therapy quicker.” Intuitive, a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, received clearance on March 14 from the FDA for use of its fifth-generation multiport robotic system. Surgeons with the OSUCCC – James and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center were involved in both preclinical and clinical trials used to test and validate the robotic system, including Merritt, who served as principal investigator of the studies at the OSUCCC – James, and Michael Meara, MD, medical director of robotics for Ohio State’s hospitals. In preclinical trials with surgeons at all experience levels, the enhanced force technology and haptics demonstrated up to 43 percent less force exerted on tissue, which may translate to less trauma on tissue. The ability to measure this force adds an important new data stream to surgical data science, which can bring future analytical insights supported through artificial intelligence. “One of the biggest barriers to robotic surgical training is training the eyes to learn what tissue tension ‘looks like’ versus how it feels in traditional surgical approaches. The haptic feedback integrated into this new technology removes a big barrier for training more surgeons in robotic surgery. It alerts surgeons when there’s too much pressure, resulting in less tissue trauma and that translates to even more precise treatment at the bedside for the patient,” said Meara. Ohio State’s 25 years of experience in robotic surgery In 1999, Ohio State physicians were the first in the country to perform a robotic surgery – a heart procedure – and have been leading the way in the field ever since. Ohio State performs about 3,300 robotic surgeries a year and has the most experienced and comprehensive robotic surgical team in Ohio. Because of this expertise, Ohio State has an extensive training program in robotic surgery teaching the leaders of tomorrow. “For more than two decades, Ohio State has had extensive experience using robotic systems during our surgeries across multiple specialties,” said Meara. “This allows us to create an advanced learning environment for our medical students, the next generation of surgeons, training them in the latest robotic technology. Not only are we training our students, other surgeons from across the globe have come to Ohio State to observe and learn from our robotic systems.” Ohio State’s participation in the clinical trial leading to FDA approval Ohio State played a vital role in the clinical trial looking at the feasibility and efficacy of the da Vinci 5 robotic system. OSU was the first to enroll a patient in December 2022, with a total of 22 patients enrolled, the highest among all trial sites. Ten surgeons from six specialties were involved, and staff from perioperative services and research also served in a critical role for trial data collection. Data collection is still ongoing as procedures involving malignancy are followed annually for five years to assess long-term outcome. Da Vinci 5 enhancements The system includes more than 150 enhancements, notably the first-of-its-kind force-sensing technology, or haptics, to help surgeons. Other improvements include, accuracy and precision, next-generation 3D display and image processing, expanded computing power and advanced data capabilities and greater surgeon comfort. Da Vinci 5 will initially be available to a small number of customers in the U.S. who collaborated with Intuitive during the development and clinical trial period and those with mature robotic surgery programs. Intuitive will work with surgeons at these sites to generate additional data on the system’s use before a wider commercial introduction. Merritt does not declare any conflicts of interest with Intuitive. Meara discloses that he is a consultant and speaker for Intuitive. ### MEDIA CONTACTS: Mary Ellen Fiorino, Mary.Fiorino@osumc.edu Amanda Harper, Amanda.Harper2@osumc.edu