New Brunswick, N.J., April 14, 2025 – Johnson & Johnson MedTech, a global leader in surgical innovation, has successfully completed the first clinical trial cases using its new OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System, marking a major milestone in robotic-assisted surgery.

The procedures were performed by Dr. Erik Wilson, Chief of Minimally Invasive and Elective General Surgery at UT Health Houston, at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. As the lead investigator for the trial, Dr. Wilson performed a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure with the OTTAVA system.

“Robotic technology is driving the future of minimally invasive surgery,” said Dr. Wilson. “I’m honored to be the first to use OTTAVA in a clinical trial setting and to contribute to advancing this technology.”

OTTAVA is engineered as a multi-specialty robotic system for soft-tissue procedures, capable of handling complex, multi-quadrant surgeries. The system is intended to support a broad range of general surgeries, particularly in the upper abdomen—such as gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, small bowel resection, and hiatal hernia repair.

The data gathered from this clinical study will be used to support Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s De Novo authorization submission to the U.S. FDA, targeting multiple general surgery indications.

“OTTAVA represents a key innovation in our portfolio, built to enhance surgical outcomes across a variety of procedures,” said Hani Abouhalka, Group Chairman of Surgery at Johnson & Johnson MedTech. “Our teams work side-by-side with surgeons globally to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the OR.”

Approved by the FDA as an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) in late 2024, the OTTAVA system reflects Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s ongoing commitment to advancing surgical care. It combines Ethicon’s surgical instrumentation, a unified system architecture, and future connectivity with the Polyphonic™ digital ecosystem to meet both surgeon and patient needs.

“Evidence generation is central to our innovation efforts,” said Dr. Peter Schulam, Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson MedTech. “Partnering with clinicians for rigorous scientific study is how we move surgical technology forward.”

Please note: The OTTAVA system is still under development and not yet available for commercial use. Learn more at thenext.jnjmedtech.com.

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