Surgical Robots Market Size & Share Analysis - Trends, Drivers, Competitive Landscape, and Forecasts (2024 - 2030)

Surgical Robots Market Growth Drivers & Opportunities

Ambulatory Surgery Centers Are Key Market Trend

• A key trend in the market is ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), also known as outpatient departments (OPDs).
• Traditionally, surgeries have majorly been performed at full-fledged hospitals, which have numerous resources in terms of staff and equipment.
• However, they, especially private ones, are costly for the masses, which often restrains people from undergoing surgeries unless vital for survival.
• Additionally, due to the high preference of patients for hospitals, the waiting times at these places are excessively long, which can often lead to the worsening of the patient’s condition beyond the point where even the surgery won’t help.
• On the other hand, ASCs are an emerging approach, which is why they have shorter wait times.
• Additionally, they employ fewer resources and offer cost-effective interventions, encouraging people to go for even elective surgical procedures.
• Moreover, many ASCs employ surgical robots to offer same-day surgeries with minimal incisions, shorter wait times and hospital stays, less pain and psychological trauma, and faster recoveries.
• On average, a knee arthroscopy costs almost USD 700 at a hospital and around USD 400 at an ASC in the U.S.
• Similarly, a hospital charges USD 1,400 for an Achilles tendon repair, while an OPD procedure costs less than USD 1,000.
• In the same vein, a study revealed average stay duration at a hospital and ASC at 24 hours and 8 hours, respectively.

Rising Incidence of Chronic Diseases Drives Market Growth

• The biggest driver for the market is the rising incidence of heart diseases, as surgical robots are being increasingly used for mitral valve repair and replacement.
• This procedure is majorly done to correct mitral valve prolapse, which causes the blood from the left ventricle to flow back into the left atrium, a condition known as regurgitation.
• According to the American Heart Association, mitral valve prolapse affects around 7.8 million people in the U.S. and over 16 million worldwide.
• Other procedures now commonly being performed with robots are hernia repair, gastric bypass, appendectomy, colectomy, hysterectomy, and pancreatectomy.
• Further, a rising number of patients and doctors are looking at robotic surgeries for cancers, especially those of the colon and rectum; uterus, vagina, ovaries, cervix, and vulva; head and neck; pancreas; esophagus; lungs, thyroid; and kidneys, ureters, and urinary bladder.
• According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, the top 10 prevalent cancers are those of the, in descending order, trachea, bronchus and lungs; breast; colon and rectum; prostate; stomach; liver and intrahepatic bile ducts; thyroid; cervix and uterus; bladder; and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Knee Replacement Surgeries Offer Major opportunities

• The surging demand for surgical robots is due to the increase in the number of knee replacement surgeries, since surgical robots assist doctors in completing complex procedures with reduced pain, owing to their increased control, dexterity, and flexibility.
• Although the results and quality of traditional operations are high, incorporating robots into the procedures provides more benefits for both doctors and patients, including a lower risk of infection.
• The increasing acceptance and utilization of minimally invasive surgeries, owing to the benefits such as shorter hospital stays, less blood loss, and minimal pain, are offering opportunities for new industry players to launch cost-effective and advanced surgical robots.
• Surgical robots have become increasingly popular in recent years, in terms of research and testing, and implementation in routine hospital surgeries, such as shoulder, elbow, neck, foot & ankle, and hand & wrist, which are also rising.
• Surgeons can do less invasive procedures and offer a higher level of precision by using robot arms controlled by a computer.

Surgical Robots Market Analysis

Application Insights

The general surgery category dominates the market with 35% share in 2024. This attributed to the extensive usage of robots for conducting surgeries on the abdomen, including the intestines, stomach, bile ducts, and pancreas. As per a study, robots are used for around 60% of the laparoscopic surgeries around the world. A key application of robotic general surgeries is colorectal cancer, which, as per the World Health Organization (WHO), accounts for 10% of all global cancer diagnoses.

The neurology category is projected to observe the fastest growth, at a CAGR of 17.4%, during the forecast period, in the surgical robots market. This growth can be attributed to the technological advancements in robotic brain surgeries and the growing usage of surgical robots for providing treatment to patients suffering from tumors and other brain conditions. Moreover, the market in this category is growing due to the prevalence of neurological disorders and the increasing demand for minimally invasive techniques for performing delicate brain surgeries.

For instance, the University of California San Francisco developed a method to treat depressive symptoms using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) technology. It involves implanting electrodes within the brain to deliver electrical currents to alter brain activity. This type of automatic on-demand therapy helps alleviate the patient’s symptoms and has long-term effects. Moreover, in 2021, researchers at the university developed a new kind of speech neuroprosthesis for patients with paralysis. It will help patients with a severely damaged brain stem, which can also cause whole-body paralysis. This technology will cater to epilepsy patients and aid in the real-time decoding of commands to vocal muscles into words.

Furthermore, the market is expected to be driven by the increasing use of surgical robots for treating cancer patients with ovarian, abdominal, and prostate cancer, as well as the introduction of new technologies for laparoscopic operations.

The below-mentioned applications have been analyzed:

• Orthopedics
• Neurology (Fastest-Growing Category)
• Urology
• Gynecology
• General Surgery (Largest Category)
• Others

End User Insights

Hospitals are the largest end users of surgical robots in the market, with 55% share in 2024. This is due to the large number of surgeries performed in these healthcare facilities, globally. With the increase in cases of chronic diseases among the population, the number of surgeries increases in hospitals. Moreover, the presence of well-developed hospitals in countries like the U.S. and Canada and their favorable outcomes increase the footfall in these settings, due to the usage of advanced technologies, including robotics.

The ambulatory surgery centers category will witness the higher CAGR, of 17.0%, over the forecast period. This is because ASCs offer cost-effective surgeries with less pain, shorter hospital stay, quicker turnaround, and fewer complications. Surgical robots are vital at ASCs to offer same-day procedures to patients.

The segment is categorized as follows:

• Hospitals (Largest Category)
• Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Fastest-Growing Category)
• Others

Offering Insights

The instruments and accessories category holds the largest market share in 2024, and it will also witness the fastest growth, over the forecast period. This is due to the increase in surgical procedures globally, which eventually make hospitals purchase instruments and accessories on a recurring basis. The hospitals are required to maintain stock of these items, which are needed during surgical procedures. Also, these instruments are a one-time investment and comparatively cheaper than robotic systems.

We have covered the following offerings:

• Systems
• Instruments and Accessories (Largest and Fastest-Growing Category)
• Services

Geographical Analysis

• North America dominates the market in in 2024, with 45% share. This is primarily attributed to the advanced healthcare infrastructure of the region, which allows cutting-edge medical technologies to flourish.
• This is why most of the major manufacturers of surgical robots are either headquartered here or have their manufacturing plants, R&D centers, and sales and marketing offices in the region.
• North America also accounts for a high healthcare spending, with that of the U.S. the highest in the world.
•  This encourages advancements across medical specialties, including diagnoses and treatment. Further, people’s high disposable income allows them to go for elective procedures, which are increasingly being performed with robots for minimal scarring, especially those done for cosmetic and aesthetic purposes.
• Another key factor that encourages people to go for such procedures is the favorable insurance reimbursement scenario.
• The APAC market is projected to observe the highest growth rate, of 17.6%, during the forecast period.
• This can be ascribed to the increase in demand for minimally invasive operations to reduce recovery time, a strong presence of multinational competitors in the region, and ongoing robotics innovations.
• In addition, top players invest in research and development activities in order to bring down the cost and speed up the clinical adoption of new surgery techniques in the region.
• Furthermore, higher favorable outcomes as compared to open surgeries and a shorter period of hospitalization and recovery for patients are boosting the demand for robotic-assisted surgeries.
• Also, the miniaturization of instruments is likely to allow optimal working conditions in limited space and ensure hygiene in hospitals.

The following regions and countries are covered in the report:

• North America (Largest Regional Market)
  • U.S. (Larger Country Market)
  • Canada (Faster-Growing Country Market)
• Europe
  • U.K. (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Germany (Largest Country Market)
  • France
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific (Fastest-Growing Regional Market)
  • Japan (Largest Country Market)
  • China (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Rest of APAC
• Latin America (LATAM)
  • Brazil (Largest Country Market)
  • Mexico (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)
  • Saudi Africa
  • Saudi Arabia (Largest and Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • U.A.E.
  • Rest of MEA

Surgical Robots Market Share

The surgical robots market is consolidated as the major share is held by a few well-established companies. The key reason for this is the high entry barriers due to surgical robots being a specialized product subject to stringent regulations for effectiveness and patient safety. This demands advanced and foolproof technologies, which, in turn, mandates excessive investments in R&D and manufacturing. Moreover, companies rigorously protect their IP and patens, which makes it almost impossible for new companies to copy designs and operational technologies.

Surgical Robots Market News

• In June 2024, Smith & Nephew plc launched CORIOGRAPH pre-operative planning and modeling services for use with the CORI surgical system, to personalize robot-assisted total and partial knee arthroplasty procedures for patients and surgeons.
• In June 2024, Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. and THINK Medical entered into a partnership for the distribution of the latter’s TMINI. This wireless, handheld, miniature robotic system for total knee arthroplasty will complement the ROSA robotics portfolio of Zimmer Biomet with an option for handheld robot.
• In May 2024, Intuitive Surgical Inc. received the FDA clearance for a labeling revision of da Vinci Xi and X for radical prostatectomy.
• In May 2024, Medtronic plc announced that two clinical studies were underway in the U.S. in pursuit of the FDA clearance for the Hugo robot-assisted surgery system for gynecological and hernia indications.