About da Vinci Systems

Surgical robotics for minimally invasive surgery

Your surgeon in control

The da Vinci^® surgical system gives your surgeon an advanced set of instruments to use in performing robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. The term “robotic” often misleads people. Robots don’t perform surgery. Your surgeon performs surgery with da Vinci by using instruments that he or she guides via a console.

The da Vinci system translates your surgeon’s hand movements at the console in real time, bending and rotating the instruments while performing the procedure. The tiny wristed instruments move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion. The da Vinci vision system also delivers highly magnified, 3D high-definition views of the surgical area. The instrument size makes it possible for surgeons to operate through one or a few small incisions.

A dedicated care team

The da Vinci system is one part of a much bigger picture. As the company that makes da Vinci, Intuitive’s services extend far beyond the surgical system. These include comprehensive and ongoing education, training, and support for surgeons, operating room staff, and hospital care teams. As a patient, you are at the center of a network of dedicated professionals working together to help you get back to what matters most.

Three components of the da Vinci system

Surgeon console

Your surgeon sits at the console, controlling the instruments while viewing your anatomy in high-definition 3D.

Patient cart

Positioned alongside the bed, the patient cart holds the camera and instruments that the surgeon controls from the console.

Vision cart

The vision cart makes communication between components possible and supports the 3D high-definition vision system.

A family of technologies

Hospitals may have one or multiple versions of the da Vinci available. These systems all work to enable your surgeon to perform minimally invasive surgery. The different models include:


The da Vinci Si surgical system		The da Vinci X surgical system

The da Vinci Xi surgical system		The da Vinci SP¹ surgical system

In the U.S., the da Vinci SP^® system is only cleared for use in single-port urological procedures, lateral oropharyngectomy procedures (commonly referred to as radical tonsillectomy) and tongue base resection.

PN 1056671 REV B 03/19

Important Safety Information

Patients should talk to their doctors to decide if da Vinci® surgery is right for them. Patients and doctors should review all available information on nonsurgical and surgical options and associated risks in order to make an informed decision.

Serious complications may occur in any surgery, including da Vinci surgery, up to and including death. Serious risks include, but are not limited to, injury to tissues and organs and conversion to other surgical techniques, which could result in a longer operative time and/or increased complications. For Important Safety Information, including surgical risks, indications, and considerations and contraindications for use, please also refer to www.intuitive.com/safety.

Individuals' outcomes may depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to patient characteristics, disease characteristics, and/or surgeon experience.

Product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical, or of their respective holders.

©2019 Intuitive Surgical, Inc. All rights reserved. Product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. The information on this website is intended for a United States audience only.

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This website does not provide medical advice. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.

The materials on this website are for general educational information only. Information you read on this website cannot replace the relationship that you have with your healthcare professional. Intuitive Surgical does not practice medicine or provide medical services or advice and the information on this website should not be considered medical advice. You should always talk to your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment. Health information changes quickly. Therefore, it is always best to consult with your healthcare provider.

If you have questions about the da Vinci® Surgical System or about surgical procedures conducted with the da Vinci Surgical System, consult a surgeon that has experience with the da Vinci Surgical System. A list of surgeons that have experience with the da Vinci Surgical System can be found in the Surgeon Locator.