SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive Surgical, Inc., (Nasdaq:ISRG) announced today it has begun direct operations in India, following seven years of doing business in the country through a distributor, Vattikuti Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Intuitive pioneered, and continues to be a global leader in, the field of robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery with the creation of its da Vinci surgical system more than two decades ago. Now on its fourth-generation system, the Silicon Valley-based company has seen more than five million robotic-assisted surgical procedures performed worldwide, and the da Vinci surgical system benefits explored in more than 15,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications to date.
“The adoption and advancement of robotic-assisted surgery has been enabled by critical contributions from health care professionals from India,” said Intuitive CEO Gary Guthart. “As Intuitive continues to grow to serve patients, surgeons, and hospitals in India, we look forward to deepening our support of, and work with, health care professionals in their pursuit of the clinical and economic benefits robotic-assisted surgery offers.”
In support of the company’s commitment to India, Intuitive also named Mandeep Singh Kumar as its general manager. Mandeep will direct and implement Intuitive’s in-country strategy and commercial operations. He has more than 20 years of global business experience in health care, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and advertising. Most recently, Mandeep served as the chief commercial officer for GE Healthcare, India and South Asia.
“It is a privilege to be part of Intuitive’s journey in India, and we are committed to working with surgeons across the country to bring the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery to their patients,” said Mandeep.
Intuitive’s sixth international office will be headquartered in Bengaluru, where employees in sales, marketing, field service engineering, and business operations will be based to support customers throughout the country. More than 65 da Vinci surgical systems are currently in use in India, with surgeons performing robotic-assisted procedures in urology, gynecology, thoracic, and general surgery.
“Our customers can expect a smooth transition and even deeper collaboration opportunities between Intuitive and India’s surgical community,” said Jeroen van Heesewijk, senior vice president of global distribution at Intuitive. “We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Intuitive team, as well.”
More than 60 former Vattikuti employees became a part of Intuitive India’s business. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (Nasdaq:ISRG), headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. is the pioneer in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. Intuitive develops, manufactures and markets the da Vinci surgical system. The Company's mission is to make surgery more effective, less invasive and easier on surgeons, patients and their families.
About the Da Vinci Surgical System
There are several models of the da Vinci surgical system. The da Vinci surgical systems are designed to help surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery. Da Vinci systems offer surgeons high-definition 3D vision, a magnified view, and robotic and computer assistance. They use specialized instrumentation, including a miniaturized surgical camera and wristed instruments (i.e., scissors, scalpels and forceps) that are designed to help with precise dissection and reconstruction deep inside the body.
© 2018 Intuitive Surgical, Inc. All rights reserved. Intuitive Surgical®, da Vinci®, da Vinci S®, da Vinci Si® da Vinci Xi®, da Vinci X®, OnSite® and EndoWrist® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.intuitivesurgical.com.
Important Safety Information
For Important Safety Information, indications for use, risks, full cautions and warnings, please refer to www.davincisurgery.com/safety and www.intuitivesurgical.com/safety.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding provisional income tax expense related to the 2017 Tax Act, the potential impact of the final resolution of provisional estimates and potential subsequent adjustments due to additional guidance from and interpretations by regulatory and standard-setting bodies, and changes in assumptions. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the Company’s management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the impact of global and regional economic and credit market conditions on healthcare spending; healthcare reform legislation in the United States and its impact on hospital spending, reimbursement and fees levied on certain medical device revenues; changes in hospital admissions and actions by payers to limit or manage surgical procedures; the timing and success of product development and market acceptance of developed products; the results of any collaborations, in-licensing arrangements, joint ventures, strategic alliances or partnerships; procedure counts; regulatory approvals, clearances and restrictions or any dispute that may occur with any regulatory body; guidelines and recommendations in the healthcare and patient communities; intellectual property positions and litigation; competition in the medical device industry and in the specific markets of surgery in which the Company operates; unanticipated manufacturing disruptions or the inability to meet demand for products; the results of legal proceedings to which the Company is or may become a party; product liability and other litigation claims; adverse publicity regarding the Company and the safety of the Company’s products and adequacy of training; the Company’s ability to expand into foreign markets; the impact of changes to tax legislation, guidance, and interpretations; and other risk factors under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as updated by the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements using words such as “estimates,” “projects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “targeted” and similar words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
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