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Clinch, McKenna

0009-0002-0666-9736

A5117727805 | I130701444

Mayo Clinic

Georgia Institute of Technology

Citations 1

Toward autonomous robotic-assisted and microrobotic surgery

Science Advances | July 1, 2026 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 27 | Pages: No page available

10.1126/sciadv.aec4197 | PMID 42384805

Autonomous robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) has emerged as a promising objective in biomedical technology, further enhanced by miniaturization toward microrobotic-assisted surgery (μ-RAS). This reduction in scale promises minimally invasive, partially or fully automated surgical procedures, with the potential to reduce patient recovery times, lower medical costs, and enable previously unavailable procedural options. This perspective highlights the specific advances in RAS that potentially map to the microscale (μ-RAS), organized across five surgical domains: endovascular, endoluminal, laparoscopic, ophthalmic, and orthopedic. We examine both clinical demands and technological advances in surgical robotics and identify the key innovations required for progress across these surgical fields. Our contribution is distinct in combining the perspectives of both surgical experts and bioengineering innovators, outlining a roadmap for the advancement and eventual integration of autonomous RAS and μ-RAS into mainstream surgical practice.