Momentis Announces Lee Health Adopts Anovo™ Surgical System for Robotic-Assisted Benign Gynecological Surgeries

First-of-its-kind surgical robot with humanoid-shaped arms enables a preferred approach for minimally invasive surgery with the potential of resulting in virtually no visible scars and faster recovery

FORT MYERS, Fla. and FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Momentis Surgical™ Ltd, a medical device company dedicated to transforming surgery with its proprietary surgical robotic technology, today announced that Lee Health has acquired the Anovo™ Surgical System, the first and only FDA-authorized surgical robot with features designed to mimic human arms and provide human level dexterity. The Anovo Surgical System will be available at Gulf Coast Medical Center. The Anovo System is designed to enable the less invasive vaginal approach for benign gynecological procedures including hysterectomies. The less invasive approach and improved dexterity position Anovo to provide a better surgical experience that may improve clinical outcomes and can be made available to a wider patient population.

Approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the U.S.ⁱ and a vaginal approach is well documented as providing significant clinical benefits, including less patient pain and scarring, shorter recovery times and reduced infection rates, compared to other approaches.ⁱⁱ Today this less invasive approach is used in only 16 percentⁱⁱⁱ of hysterectomies due to anatomical and technical limitations. The Anovo System is designed to overcome these limitations and offer patients faster recovery times, less pain and to enable virtually no visible scars on the abdomen. 

"Lee Health is pleased to offer the Anovo Surgical System as an option for our patients," said Jonathan Velez, MD, Chief Physician and Operations Executive at Gulf Coast Medical Center, a Lee Health hospital. "This illustrates our ongoing commitment to embracing technology and advancing the care we provide to our patients and our community."

"We are excited to partner with Lee Health, a known leader in adopting robotic technology to better serve their patients," added Dvir Cohen, CEO and Co-Founder of Momentis. "By offering the most advanced technology, their surgeons are empowered knowing they can offer a better surgical experience and improved outcomes to their female patients."

The Anovo System is indicated for use in single site, natural orifice laparoscopic-assisted transvaginal benign surgical procedures including benign hysterectomy, salpingectomy, oophorectomy, adnexectomy, and ovarian cyst removal. Multiple instruments can be introduced to the body through a single portal and the unprecedented articulation offers optimal access and working angles. Anovo requires a much smaller footprint and costs significantly less than conventional robotic systems, making it possible for more hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to acquire the system and offer more patients the benefits of less invasive robotic surgery. The Anovo System was granted de novo marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2021.

Momentis Surgical Ltd is a medical device company founded in 2013 and based in Tel Aviv, Israel with a wholly owned subsidiary, Momentis Surgical Inc., based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Momentis is dedicated to transforming the field of robotic surgery by developing innovative small footprint, cost-effective, robotic-assisted technologies and techniques for a growing number of clinical applications. Our goal is to empower surgeons to perform minimally invasive, complex procedures, enabling better patient outcomes, lowering cost of care, and opening access to more surgeons, patients, hospitals, and surgery centers across the globe. For more information, visit: https://www.momentissurgical.com/.

Since the opening of the first hospital in 1916, Lee Health has been a health care leader in Southwest Florida, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community. A non-profit, integrated health care services organization, Lee Health is committed to the well-being of every individual served, focused on healthy living and maintaining good health. Staffed by caring people, inspiring health, services are conveniently located throughout the community in four acute care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, primary care and specialty physician practices and other services across the continuum of care. Learn more at www.LeeHealth.org.

Media Contact:
Lynn Granito
Berry & Company Public Relations
[email protected] 
973-818-3732

Investor Contact:
Greg Chodaczek
Gilmartin Group
[email protected] 
347-620-7010

ⁱ Whiteman M, Hillis S, Jamieson D, et al., "Inpatient hysterectomy surveillance in the United States 2000-2004," Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008; 198(1): 34. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2007.05.039.
ⁱⁱ Aarts JWM, Nieboer TE, Johnson N, Tavender E, Garry R, Mol BWJ, Kluivers KB. Surgical approach to hysterectomy for benign gynaecological disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015. 2015 Aug 12;2015(8):CD003677. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003677.pub5.
ⁱⁱⁱ Luciano AA, Luciano DE, Gabbert J, Seshadri-Kreaden U. The impact of robotics on the mode of benign hysterectomy and clinical outcomes. Int J Med Robot. 2016 Mar;12(1):114-24. doi: 10.1002/rcs.1648. Epub 2015 Mar 4. PMID: 25753111.

SOURCE Momentis Surgical