Did the First Surgical Robot Perform a Prostate Surgery?

💡 The Answer

• The first FDA‑approved surgical robot, the da Vinci, performed prostatectomy in 2000.
• However, earlier robots like PROBOT (1980s) were designed specifically for prostate resection.
• PROBOT autonomously removed prostate tissue with a rotating cutter under ultrasound guidance.
• Da Vinci's success popularized robot‑assisted laparoscopic surgery worldwide.