U.S. Gynecology Robotic Surgery Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Robotic Systems, Instruments and Accessories, and Services), By End User (Hospitals and Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Physician’s Offices), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

The U.S. gynecology robotic surgery market size was USD 1.04 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 1.38 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period.

Robotic surgery is showcasing a rapid adoption in various surgical procedures such as knee replacement, hysterectomies, aesthetics, and others. When compared to orthopedics which includes players such as Stryker Corporation, Zimmer Biomet, and others, gynecology is a relatively new and emerging application area for robotic surgery. In recent years, the demand for minimally invasive surgeries is increasing. Even in gynecology, the majority of hysterectomies are done laparoscopically or robotically, which, in turn, is fostering the market.

Furthermore, an increasing number of da Vinci Surgical System installations in the U.S. and the entry of new players are projected to augment the market growth. During 2018-2019, the number of gynecology procedures performed by Intuitive’s da Vinci increased by 10.2% and reached 282,000 in 2019 in the U.S. This is likely to propel the market during the forecast period.

Postponement of Elective Surgeries due to COVID-19 Pandemic to Disrupt Growth

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the healthcare environment adversely. The pandemic has led to a disturbance in the demand and supply chain, which has profusely impacted the medical devices sector. In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the postponement and cancellation of all elective and non-essential medical, surgical, and dental procedures. The step was taken to reserve and reallocate healthcare resources for the management of COVID-19 patients.

However, due to this, the sales of medical devices, including robotic systems, came to a halt. This negatively impacted the number of robotic gynecology procedures and revenue of the major players operating in the market. For instance, the revenue of Intuitive Surgical Inc. decreased by 6.2% in the first six months of 2020, as compared to the same period in 2019. The company also exhibited a significant decline in the number of da Vinci procedures, as compared to last year.

Furthermore, according to a study conducted by the American Hospital Association, hospitals and health systems in the U.S. have seen an average decline of 20% in inpatient volume and 35% in outpatient volume during the pandemic. This, coupled with the closing of manufacturing sites and restrictions on the movement of people, is expected to hamper the market significantly.

LATEST TRENDS

Growing Shift towards Less Invasive Gynecological Surgeries is a Current Trend

Less invasive procedures offer considerable benefits over open surgeries such as faster recovery, faster procedures, fewer complications, lower readmission rates, and others. Thus, the advantages of minimally invasive surgeries are the primary reason that is surging their demand not only in North America, but also in Europe and Asia Pacific. Over the last two decades, there has been a significant decline in the number of open surgeries due to technological advancements in surgical robotic systems, as well as in devices that are used to perform minimally-invasive procedures, specifically the introduction and improvements in robotic surgical systems.

The U.S. has seen a gradual shift towards hysterectomies being performed as minimally invasive outpatient procedures. Outpatient settings account for around 70-80% of total benign hysterectomies in 2019 in the U.S., a considerable growth from only 10-15% in 2008. This is poised to surge the market growth during the forecast period.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Incidence of Gynecological Conditions in the U.S. to Propel Growth

Various factors, including the ageing population and sedentary lifestyles are increasing the risk of the development of gynecological conditions among women in the U.S. This is one of the key factors for the expansion of the market.

• Endometriosis is estimated to affect around 11% of women belonging to the reproductive age. According to the American Cancer Society, about 13,800 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2020.

Furthermore, the use of robotic surgery for the treatment of gynecological conditions has grown significantly since the approval of the da Vinci robotic surgical system for gynecological surgery. This is expected to drive the market growth for U.S. gynecology robotic surgery.

Focus of Manufacturer on Entering the U.S. Market to Favor Adoption of Robotic Systems

Owing to the increasing demand for minimally invasive hysterectomies, many manufacturers such as Titan Medical Inc., CMR Surgical, and others are increasing their R&D activities to enter the market.

• For instance, Titan Medical Inc. is currently developing SPORT robotic surgical system for various applications, including gynecology and is eyeing to enter the U.S. market post regulatory approvals.

Regulatory approvals and increasing efforts by the robotic systems manufacturers for the product launches in the U.S. market are likely to favor the demand for gynecology robotic surgery.  

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Unfavorable Reimbursement Policies to Restrict Market Growth

Robotic gynecological procedures are being reimbursed at the same rate as open or laparoscopic surgical procedures even when the cost of performing the former is significantly higher. This would limit the adoption of gynecological robotic surgical systems in the U.S.

• The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services increased 2016 reimbursement rates up to 82% for most of the minimally invasive gynecological outpatient procedures. However, the CMS also includes robotic surgery in MIS procedures, which would result in a lesser reimbursement amount.

Owing to this, surgeons are opting for laparoscopic or other MIS approaches rather than robotic surgery. This, coupled with high cost is a prominent reason for the lower adoption of robotic surgery, especially for those involved in private practice in their own offices.

SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

Demand for Minimally Invasive Hysterectomies to Propel Instruments & Accessories Segment

Based on the type, the market for U.S. gynecology robotic surgery is segmented into robotic systems, instruments & accessories, and services. The instruments and accessories segment dominated the market in 2019 and is projected to retain its position throughout the forecast period. Primary factors responsible for the dominant U.S. gynecology robotic surgery market share of the segment are the increasing number of hysterectomies, rising importance on women’s health, and the rapid adoption of robotic surgery in gynecology. According to the National Women’s Health Network, 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in America, which is likely to propel the segment’s growth.

The rising installed base of da Vinci surgical system, as well as the increasing efforts by various surgical robotics companies to enter into the market in the United States through significant R&D investment and FDA approvals are expected to drive the growth of the robotic systems segment. For instance, in January 2018, Medrobotics received FDA clearance for marketing Flex Robotic System for gynecological procedures in the U.S.

Due to the advantages of gynecology robotic surgery such as cost savings, improved precision, minimally invasive, and reduced recovery time, many hospitals and gynecology clinics are shifting towards the robotic surgery. This is expected to favor the expansion of the services segment in the coming years.

By End User Analysis

Ambulatory Surgical Centers Segment to Hold the Dominant Position in Market

On the basis of the end-user, the U.S. gynecology robotic surgery market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), and physician’s offices. The ambulatory surgical centers segment is anticipated to register the maximum growth during 2020-2019. Technological advancements and increasing emphasis on robotic surgery have enabled the shift in gynecological procedures from the inpatient to the outpatient setting. This, coupled with the increasing number of ASCs, is expected to fuel the growth of the segment.

Some of the primary factors attributable to the expansion of the hospitals and clinics segment are the increasing installations of surgical robots in hospitals and the rising efforts to lower the work burden on surgeons and the other medical staff. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, by 2032, the U.S. will showcase a lack of nearly 23,000 surgeons. This shortage of surgeons will also increase the work burden on the existing surgeons. Robotic assisted surgeries can be a potential tool to address this issue owing to the less surgery time and reduced hospital stay, which is expected to accelerate the adoption of gynecology robotic surgery in hospitals and clinics.

The physician’s offices segment is projected to exhibit substantial growth during the forecast period. A vital factor contributing to the expansion of the segment is the increasing number of surgeons getting trained for robot assisted surgeries and starting their practice.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Intuitive Surgical Inc. to Emerge as a Market Leader Owing to High Its Expertise   

In terms of the market revenue for U.S. gynecology robotic surgery, Intuitive Surgical, Inc. accounted for the lion’s share of the market in 2019. The high expertise of the company in robotic surgery and the increasing number of da Vinci gynecological procedures are the major factors responsible for the prominent position of the company.

TransEnterix Surgical Inc. and Medrobotics Corporation are taking increasing efforts to strengthen their market positions. In 2019, over 1,600 procedures were performed using TransEntrix’s Senhance worldwide, representing an increase of 194%, as compared to 2018. This is expected to leverage the company’s position.

Apart from this, the competitive landscape of the market is expected to exhibit considerable changes in the coming years owing to the increased R&D investment by companies such as CMR Surgical Ltd., Medtronic, and Titan Medical Inc. to enter into the U.S. market.

LIST OF KEY COMPINIES PROFILED:

• Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (California, U.S.)


• TransEnterix Surgical, Inc. (North Carolina, U.S.)


• Medrobotics Corporation (Massachusetts, U.S.)


• Titan Medical Inc. (Ontario, Canada)


• CMR Surgical Limited (Cambridge, U.K.)


• avateramedical GmbH (Jena, Germany)


• Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland)


• Verb Surgical, Inc. (California, U.S.)


• Olympus Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)


• Stryker (Michigan, U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• January 2020: Titan Medical Inc. partnered with Cambridge Design Partnership Ltd. for the development of instruments for the company’s single-port robotic surgical system.


• January 2018: Medrobotics Corporation received FDA clearance for marketing Flex Robotic System for gynecological procedures in the U.S.


• October 2017: TransEnterix Surgical Inc. received FDA 510(k) approval for Senhance Surgical Robotic System for gynecology application.

REPORT COVERAGE

The U.S. gynecology robotic surgery market research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market by offering valuable insights, facts, industry-related information, and historical data. Several methodologies and approaches are being adopted to make meaningful assumptions and views. Furthermore, the report offers a detailed analysis and information as per market segments, helping our readers to get a comprehensive overview of the market. Various key insights that will be covered in the report are distribution of hysterectomies performed in the U.S. by type of surgery, details about key gynecological robotic surgical systems in the market, robotic surgical procedure volume, SWOT analysis of robotic surgical procedures, technological advancements in U.S. gynecology robotic surgery, prevalence of key gynecological conditions in the U.S., and key industry developments with market trends.

Report Scope & Segmentation