Robotics and flexible instrument devicemaker TransEnterix said Friday that surgeons have successfully completed four general surgery and urology procedures using the company’s SurgiBot patient-side robotic surgery system.

The procedures — two gallbladder removals and two  kidney removals — will serve as a basis for a 510(k) submission in mid-2015, the Durham, N.C., company said.

The system comprises multiple instruments and a camera, operable through a small incision in the patient’s body, giving surgeons enhanced vision, dexterity and control, explains Juan-Carlos Verdeja with Baptist Health Medical Group in Miami, who used the device in the two gallbladder procedures. “Being able to perform the procedure from within the sterile field, and with tactile feedback, increases the control a surgeon has when performing surgery,” he adds.

Michael Ferrandino, of Duke University, who performed the nephrectomies, says the system could be useful in a wide range of surgical procedures. “This system provides an elegant and effective combination of the best of single-port, laparoscopic and robotic approaches in surgery,” he says. — Kellen Owings

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