7,733 robotic surgical systems were installed globally by 2023, with the majority located in high-income countries like the U.S., Japan, Germany, and South Korea Representative Image: FreePik
MedBound Blog

Hugo Robot Sets New Benchmark with 98.5% Success in Urologic Surgeries

Medtronic’s Breakthrough in Robotic Surgery

MBT Desk

Medtronic's Hugo surgical robot has recorded outstanding outcomes in a significant clinical milestone, recording a 98.5% success rate in 137 real-world prostate, kidney, and bladder procedures. The US medical device manufacturer said the results surpassed both clinical and long-established safety standards.

Low complication rate impresses clinicians.

The procedure, as part of a larger assessment of the Hugo system, recorded an exceptionally low complication rate:

  • 3.7% in prostate procedures

  • 1.9% in kidney operations

  • 17.9% in bladder operations

Out of all the procedures, just two cases needed a modification in conventional surgical methods, one because of a minor robotic failure and another due to a complicated patient scenario.

Human control, not entirely autonomous.

Although its accuracy is impressive, the Hugo Robotic Assisted Surgery (RAS) system is not autonomous. Rather, a human surgeon directly controls the robot through a console with hand controls and foot pedals. Some have compared the interface to a high-tech video game, highlighting the need for experienced human input.

The global AI-based surgical robot market is projected to grow to $15.4 billion by 2030, driven by rising demand for minimally invasive procedures and technological advancements

Modular system with advanced visualization

Released in 2019, Hugo has a modular, multi-quadrant system that can accommodate an array of surgical procedures. Its main strengths are:

  • Wrist-mounted instruments for enhanced dexterity

  • 3D high-definition visualization

  • Integration with Touch Surgery Enterprise for video capture and analytics


These features make Hugo an enabling tool for next-generation surgery.

FDA Submission Marks Regulatory Milestone

Capitalizing on its success in the clinic, Medtronic formally submitted Hugo to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 26, 2025, for approval to use in urologic procedures. This comes after the successful completion of the largest Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study in history for robotic-assisted urologic surgery.

Expansion into Hernia and Gynecological Procedures

In the future, Medtronic will add hernia and gynecologic procedures to the scope of Hugo. The company has already run clinical trials in both specialties earlier this year and anticipates sending more pending regulatory clearances.

Elon Musk has foreseen robots outperforming surgeons.

Tech mogul Elon Musk has applauded the success on social media, forecasting that robotic systems will beat average human surgeons in a matter of years, and even the best within a decade.

Musk wrote on X that "robots will surpass good human surgeons within a few years, and the best human surgeons within ~5 years."

He quoted the application of robots in Neuralink's brain-computer interface approach as one piece of evidence, stating that human hands cannot reproduce the precision and speed needed for some intricate tasks.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)

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