Surgical procedures are moving in an exciting new direction thanks to a dynamic surgeon, Dr. Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, and a forward-thinking medical technology firm.
The thought of any form of surgical procedure is enough to strike anxiety and fear of the unknown into the patient undergoing the operation—it’s a common experience felt by approximately 75% of individuals beforehand.
But one South American surgeon and his team of groundbreaking medical experts are limiting incisions to the body while maintaining world-class precision and, ultimately, a better patient experience.
With the human body interpreting normal surgical invasions as ‘disturbing,’ Dr. Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro and the team at Levita Magnetics are disrupting the medical space with their patented MARS® system (Magnetic Assisted Robotic Surgery), technology that utilizes AR and AI techniques to aid in minimally invasive procedures.
Dr. Rodriguez-Navarro, the CEO of Levita®, was a surgeon in Chile for a decade before he moved to Silicon Valley to begin research into minimally invasive procedures and magnets. His clinical research led to the discovery of Magnetic Surgery®, and the results showed the efficiency, efficacy, and safety of the technology. And with Dr. Rodriguez-Navarro’s expertise in clinical healthcare, he set out to revolutionize the industry.
“MARS empowers the surgeon,” he explains. “This tool also reduces pressure on overworked staff and under-resourced hospitals,” something that was a huge problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. He continues, “The surgeon is given the perfect assistant as the robot doesn’t get tired. The Magnetic Surgery® technique uses fewer incisions, resulting in less pain and fewer scars, and a smoother surgical experience for the doctor. The magnets are used to gently move organs out of the way for easy access to the site of the operation.”
But for all of Dr. Rodriguez-Navarro’s ingenuity, he had to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and public ridicule at such a new technology that was disrupting the space. “There is naturally, always resistance to change,” he explains. “I was told it was absurd, and there was pushback because the first surgeon to ever perform a laparoscopy was sued and charged with manslaughter.”
Dr. Rodriguez-Navarro shares that the same professor who told him the idea was absurd later confided that he had thought laparoscopies were crazy when they first came along too, and he was eventually proven wrong. “It takes time for new technology to become established in the medical field,” he points out.
So how exactly does this method work?
“Laparoscopic surgery involves making a hole and then creating movement through the hole with the instrument from outside,” he begins. “This can be both invasive and damaging. With magnets, however, doctors can create internal movement without causing harm to the abdominal wall.”
Levita calls this core technology Dynamic Magnetic Positioning, while integrated robots work by having one arm of the robot holding the camera and the other arm holding the magnet. The magnet inside responds to the magnet on the outside, which generates movement. “Magnets are perfectly safe,” Dr. Rodriguez-Navarro points out, “as evidenced by clinical trials and the widespread use of MRI scans.”
Meanwhile, robotics are not uncommon in surgery. For example, the Da Vinci Surgical System is a well-used tool in practice, albeit large and expensive. While it’s lauded in complex cases, surgeons often prefer something smaller that doesn’t require an expensive, highly-trained team to operate it.
That’s where MARS® comes in. Much lighter in weight, it can handle regular day-to-day operations, which is estimated to be around 90% of procedures. “If anything, we complement the Da Vinci by offering a different skill set for a better value,” Dr. Rodriguez-Navarro says. “American hospitals use the Da Vinci but the rest of the world uses laparoscopies. This is where MARS can step in and complete operations more efficiently for the hospital, staff, and patient.”
The dynamic founder and surgeon expresses the desire to add to the functions of the MARS® system, with one new component already in place. “Levita developed robotics in a way that the magnet was originally moved by hand. Now, the magnet is moved by the machine, meaning cameras can be utilized in the shape of ‘endorobots,’ which allow for interior visuals to be shown. We have an entire pipeline of products based on artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and new tools based on magnets too,” Dr. Rodriguez-Navarro shares. “We are taking each step as it comes but with a clear focus on clinical value.”
One such example is the collaboration with augmented reality tools to provide the surgeon with real-time information over multiple screens, thereby increasing the value of the robotic platform.
To find out more about how Magnetic Surgery is transforming abdominal surgery and allowing patients to receive same-day discharge, check out Levita.com. You can also follow Levita Magnetics on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.