Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
Minimally invasive procedures - statistics & facts
With reduced possibilities for pain and complications, minimally invasive procedures have considerable benefits for both patients and surgeons. The main examples of minimally invasive surgeries are endoscopies, robotic surgeries, and keyhole surgeries. Many surgeons will perform over 100 endoscopies in a year. An endoscopy involves a healthcare professional using a scope to examine the body through an opening or a small incision. The name of the endoscopy changes on the specific type of procedure. The biggest part of the endoscopy market is occupied by laparoscopies, which inspect the abdominal and reproductive organs via an incision on the abdomen. They can also be used to obtain biopsy samples and remove gallstones. A laparoscopy is now preferred over a laparotomy, which requires a much bigger cut. The second-largest part of the endoscopy market is taken up by gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, a lower GI endoscopy is also referred to as a colonoscopy.
It can be assumed the results of surgical robots will only see their use increase and the market for such devices to experience continuing growth. The use of AI in healthcare has so far been primarily focused on diagnostics and data management, but there are forecast to be even larger benefits in the future with AI-assisted surgeries. The thought of this may cause some trepidation among patients and surgeons, but experts believe that it will only improve patient care and outcomes.
Endoscopy market
Endoscopic devices produced a global market value of over 30 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. The market has seen continuous growth, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic-affected year 2020 in which surgical procedures were prevented from happening for months. The United States is the single largest country in the market, followed by Germany and Japan. It is the Japanese company Olympus Corporation that has the largest share of the endoscopy equipment market, accounting for almost a quarter of the worldwide market. The company was founded in Tokyo in 1919 and has been involved in the development of endoscopes since the late 1940s when it was tasked with creating a camera that could see into a patient’s stomach.Surgical robots
The advancements in technology and the use of robotic surgery have increased considerably in the past 20 years. Surgical robots are minimally invasive because the procedures still occur through small skin incisions. Under the control of a surgeon, a high level of motion and precision are enabled by the robotic ‘arms.’ One of the most common robotic surgery systems is the da Vinci surgical system manufactured by Intuitive Surgical. The da Vinci system was the first ever robotic surgery system to receive FDA approval for laparoscopic surgeries. Presently, the system can be used for various surgeries and was used for around 2.3 million surgeries worldwide in 2023.It can be assumed the results of surgical robots will only see their use increase and the market for such devices to experience continuing growth. The use of AI in healthcare has so far been primarily focused on diagnostics and data management, but there are forecast to be even larger benefits in the future with AI-assisted surgeries. The thought of this may cause some trepidation among patients and surgeons, but experts believe that it will only improve patient care and outcomes.
Conor Stewart
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Jul 9, 2025
Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
