In this episode, host Dr. Vipul Patel sits down with Rocco De Bernardis at the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) meeting to discuss a major milestone in medical technology: the FDA approval of Johnson & Johnson's OTTAVA robotic system. Designed directly with surgeon input, OTTAVA departs from traditional robotic platforms by serving as the world's first table-integrated soft tissue robotic system. By eliminating cumbersome booms and carts, its intelligent arms store neatly beneath a standard operating table, optimizing room space and seamlessly accommodating open, laparoscopic, and robotic workflows across ten initial general surgery indications.

The conversation explores J&J's holistic vision for the operating room, featuring upcoming integrations of trusted Ethicon instrumentation and Polyphonic—an open digital and AI platform built to turn fragmented OR data into actionable insights. De Bernardis shares the strategy behind targeting general surgery first, plans for upcoming clinical trials in urology and gynecology, and how OTTAVA aims to coexist alongside established systems through a thoughtful, phased global rollout. Tune in to hear how years of engineering perseverance and surgical partnership are opening a new chapter for surgical choice and patient care.