Advances in Korean medical device technology are enabling treatment outcomes comparable to robotic surgery at a fraction of the cost using laparoscopic surgical instruments.
Livsmed said Wednesday that its articulating laparoscopic surgical instrument, ArtiSential, demonstrated clinical outcomes comparable to robotic surgery in rectal cancer procedures in what the company described as the world’s first large-scale, multicenter prospective study involving 740 patients across seven major tertiary hospitals in Korea.
ArtiSential 5mm, Livsmed’s articulating laparoscopic surgical instrument. (Courtesy of Livsmed)
The study was co-led by Professor Huh Jung-wook of the Department of Surgery at Samsung Medical Center and Professor Yoon Yong-sik of the Department of Surgery at Asan Medical Center, who served as corresponding authors.
Other participating investigators included Professor Min Byung-soh of Severance Hospital, Professor Lee Yoon-suk of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Professor Oh Heung-kwon of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Professor Lee Jae-im of International St. Mary’s Hospital, Professor Kim Chang-hyun of Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Professor Pyo Dae-hee of Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital.
Conducted over nearly three years from August 2022 to July 2024, the study analyzed 740 rectal cancer patients who underwent low anterior resection at tertiary hospitals nationwide.
According to the findings, patients who underwent surgery using ArtiSential showed favorable results across major clinical indicators, including tumor removal precision, surgical safety and postoperative complication rates.
“The results demonstrate that ArtiSential alone can secure sufficiently safe and precise oncologic outcomes even in highly complex rectal cancer surgeries,” Livsmed said.
The company added that average out-of-pocket patient costs were about 3.3 million won ($2,210), roughly one-fifth the cost of conventional robotic surgery platforms.
Livsmed also said surgical time averaged 126 minutes with ArtiSential compared with 153 minutes for robotic surgery.
Building on the articulating technology platform used in ArtiSential, Livsmed said it plans to launch its next-generation surgical robotic system, Stark.
“Technology that began with ArtiSential will evolve into the next-generation surgical robot Stark and set a new global standard for surgery,” said Lee Jung-joo, CEO of Livsmed. “We aim to create a medical environment where more patients can benefit from advanced surgical care.”
Professor Huh, the study’s principal investigator, described the findings as “a landmark achievement” demonstrating for the first time that a Korean-developed articulating surgical instrument could provide safety and oncologic outcomes comparable to robotic surgery.
“The study is especially meaningful because it opens the door for patients to receive the benefits of advanced surgery even in environments where access to expensive robotic systems is limited,” he said.
Kim Ji-hye
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