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Our next protagonist: Yulun Wang. An engineer and entrepreneur, Wang helped shape the early history of surgical robotics through AESOP, ZEUS and Computer Motion. His career also illustrates how robotics and telemedicine share a common ambition: bringing technology closer to patients, overcoming the barriers of distance. J Granell. Oct 20, 2026 Previous name: Greg WeinsteinContinue reading “Yulum Wang, from AESOP to telesurgery”

Advanced energy devices are essential to minimally invasive surgery, and robotic surgery is no exception. Reliable haemostasis, efficient tissue division and the ability to dissect while controlling vessels are fundamental to a successful robotic workflow. The da Vinci platform has offered advanced energy instruments for years. Ultrasonic devices came first, providing effective tissue dissection andContinue reading “LigaSure comes to Hugo RAS. But, without the wrist?”

For many surgeons, Gregory Weinstein is known as one of the pioneers who developed TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS) and helped establish it as a new approach for Head&Neck Cancer. For me, his significance is also deeply personal. He was the surgeon who taught me TORS, and the person who helped turn an idea into aContinue reading “Greg Weinstein, beyond TORS”

Developed from CMR Surgical’s original modular Versius platform, Versius Plus was introduced as its second-generation system, incorporating enhanced visualisation, fluorescence imaging and a more extensive digital ecosystem. It received FDA 510(k) clearance for cholecystectomy in December 2025, marking an important step towards the US market. On 12 October 2026, CMR Surgical announced a strategic allianceContinue reading “Versius Plus & Stryker: a new chapter for CMR Surgical”

The transmandibular approach has been a cornerstone of open surgery for lesions of the oropharynx and parapharyngeal space. For decades, it provided access to anatomical regions that were difficult to reach. Why divide the mandible? The principal anatomical obstacle is the mandible itself. The oropharynx and parapharyngeal space lie medial to the mandibular ramus, whichContinue reading “Transmandibular approach to the oropharynx and the parapharyngeal space”

On 7 September 2001, Jacques Marescaux made history by leading Operation Lindbergh, the first successful transatlantic robot-assisted operation, performed by surgeons in New York on a patient in Strasbourg, over 6,000km away. But his legacy extends far beyond that remarkable day, encompassing IRCAD, surgical education and decades of innovation in minimally invasive surgery. Discover theContinue reading “Jacques Marescaux: beyond operation Lindbergh”

A familiar instrument in transoral robotic surgery (TORS), the FKWO laryngo-pharyngoscope retractor appears to have returned to the market under a new name: OSTRA, now commercialized by RZ Medizintechnik. (with minor modifications and the same old mistakes) J Granell. Oct 10, 2026

Madhani played a remarkable role in the early development of robotic surgery, and particularly in the creation of the wristed instruments that would become one of the defining features of modern surgical robotics. Read: Akhil Madhani— The engineer behind the wrist. J Granell. Oct 9, 2026 Previous: Fred Moll Next: Jacques Marescaux

Although the KANGDUO® SR2000 obtained CE marking under the EU MDR in December 2025, 2026 has marked its transition from regulatory clearance to actual European introduction. The first European clinical procedures were performed in Poland in May 2026, followed by further clinical use and structured training activities across Central and Eastern Europe. The system isContinue reading “KangDuo enters the European market”

Robotic surgery is often told as a story of machines, platforms and technological breakthroughs. But behind every important step there are people: surgeons, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and visionaries who imagined what surgery could become. “Names in Robotic Surgery” is a new section of headneckroboticsurgery.com dedicated to some of those people, not necessarily the most famous,Continue reading “Names in Robotic Surgery”