Intuitive Surgical Reports Strong Q3 Performance, Driven by Robust da Vinci Procedure Growth

Intuitive Surgical, a leader in robotic-assisted surgical systems, has reported impressive third-quarter results, surpassing analysts' expectations and demonstrating continued momentum in the adoption of its flagship da Vinci platform.

Procedure Growth and Financial Performance

Intuitive Surgical's third-quarter revenue reached $2.51 billion, marking a 23% increase year over year and exceeding the average analyst forecast by $10 million. The company's net income rose to $704 million, a 25% increase compared to the same period last year.

The strong financial performance was underpinned by a significant uptick in da Vinci procedures, which grew by 20% worldwide compared to the previous year. This acceleration in procedure volume outpaced the 17% growth rate observed in the second quarter and throughout 2024.

CEO Dave Rosa highlighted the positive trend, stating, "Procedure demand has been healthy." The company has revised its full-year 2025 outlook, now expecting da Vinci procedures to increase by 17% to 17.5%, up from the previous forecast of 15.5% to 17%.

da Vinci 5 Adoption and System Placements

The third quarter saw robust adoption of Intuitive's latest da Vinci 5 robot, which experienced its first full quarter of broad availability in the U.S. market. The company reported 240 da Vinci 5 placements, more than double the 110 placements in the same quarter of 2024.

Overall, Intuitive placed 427 da Vinci systems in the quarter, compared to 379 in the third quarter of 2024. The company attributes this growth to strong system placements, accelerating adoption of the da Vinci 5, and increasing use of its single port and Ion lung biopsy systems.

Market Response and Analyst Perspectives

Investors responded positively to the earnings report, with Intuitive Surgical's shares surging nearly 15% to $531.71 on the New York Stock Exchange following the announcement.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Shagun Singh noted that the third-quarter outperformance "should help investors re-build confidence" in Intuitive, particularly in light of previous concerns about weaker hospital capital equipment purchases and competition from suppliers of remanufactured surgical instruments.

As Intuitive Surgical continues to demonstrate strong growth and innovation in the robotic-assisted surgery market, the company appears well-positioned to maintain its leadership in this rapidly evolving sector of the medical technology industry.