Medtronic said the FDA cleared its LigaSure RAS Maryland jaw vessel sealer-divider for use in combination with the company’s Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system. In the U.S., Hugo is currently cleared for urologic surgical procedures in a growing number of health systems and hospitals.
The added instrument matters because robotic platforms compete not only on the robot itself but on the tools that fit into surgeons’ existing habits. Medtronic framed the clearance as a way to provide a more seamless workflow with energy instruments surgeons are already familiar with in robotic-assisted surgery environments.
The Device Fit
According to Medtronic, the LigaSure device can seal and cut vessels, thick tissue and lymphatics as large as 7 mm in diameter, and can seal vessels in approximately 2 seconds while minimizing thermal spread to surrounding tissue. Dr. Matthew Kroh, chief medical officer of Medtronic’s surgical business, said surgeons have trusted LigaSure across open and laparoscopic surgery for decades and that bringing that performance to Hugo in the U.S. carries that familiarity into robotic-assisted cases.
This is also not the first time the two products have been paired. LigaSure was first matched with the Hugo system in Europe after receiving a CE mark in 2025, so the U.S. clearance extends an existing product combination into a market where Medtronic is still building Hugo’s footprint.
The Competitive Picture
For Medtronic, the clearance is a practical expansion of Hugo’s offering rather than a broad new indication for the robot. That can still be commercially meaningful in robotic surgery, where instrument breadth and workflow integration help determine whether hospitals and surgeons adopt a platform.
The company is operating in a field that includes Intuitive Surgical, CMR Surgical and Johnson & Johnson. In July, the U.S. regulatory agency cleared Johnson & Johnson’s Ottava robotic surgical system for multiple soft tissue surgeries, adding pressure on rivals to deepen their own procedural capabilities.
