Carina™ (Ronovo Surgical), has reach a milestone in Head&Neck Surgery with the publication of the first clinical series of gasless transaxillary robotic thyroidectomy in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. In this early feasibility study, seven patients successfully underwent unilateral thyroidectomy with central neck dissection without conversion or major complications, demonstrating that the platform can be safely adapted to one of the most demanding confined surgical spaces.
Carina™ is another example of the rapidly expanding Chinese surgical robotics ecosystem. Its most distinctive feature is a fully modular architecture, with four independent patient, offering greater flexibility in robot positioning and operating room configuration.
Is modularity the future of robotic surgery? It certainly has advantages, although it also introduces new challenges in docking, workflow and operating room logistics. We have already discussed this options, but the scenario is getting more complex (see Ottava).
We have added a new page on headneckroboticsurgery.com reviewing the Carina™ platform, its development by Ronovo Surgical, its modular design philosophy, and its potential role in the increasingly competitive landscape of soft-tissue surgical robotics.
J Granell. Aug 7, 2026
Sun H, Liu X, Zheng G, Ma C, Liu Y, Ning J, Song X, Zheng H. Initial experience with the Carina™ platform for gasless transaxillary robotic thyroidectomy in papillary thyroid carcinoma: an early feasibility report. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026 Jul 3;17:1804469. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1804469.