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ISRG Sees 91% SP Growth: A Turning Point for Single-Port Surgery?
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Key Takeaways
ISRG reported 91% year-over-year growth in single-port procedures in Q3 2025, outpacing da Vinci growth.
In Korea, ISRG's single-port utilization now exceeds the Xi system, signaling routine clinical use.
In the U.S., ISRG is expanding single-port adoption via early stapler use and regulatory submissions.
Intuitive Surgical’s (ISRG - Free Report) single-port (SP) platform is quietly emerging as one of the most intriguing growth vectors within the company’s portfolio. In the third quarter of 2025, SP procedures surged 91% year over year, far outpacing overall da Vinci growth and underscoring accelerating adoption, particularly outside the United States.
The strongest traction continues to come from Korea, where management noted that SP utilization now exceeds that of the legacy Xi system. Korea has historically been an early adopter of advanced robotic techniques, and higher utilization suggests SP is moving beyond novelty toward routine clinical use.
Management emphasized an expanding body of clinical evidence suggesting that SP provides patient benefits beyond cosmetic outcomes, with potential improvements in recovery times and length of stay. This reframing could be influential for surgeons and hospital administrators as they evaluate wider adoption.
While SP adoption in the United States remains at an early stage, the addressable market is broadening. Intuitive Surgical reported initial domestic use of the SP stapler in colorectal and thoracic procedures during the quarter, both sizable procedural categories with the potential to drive incremental volume. Surgeons involved in early thoracic cases reported positive early outcomes and favorable feedback on usability, indicating SP may be approaching a meaningful capability threshold.
Regulatory momentum is another key catalyst. Intuitive Surgical has completed U.S. regulatory submissions for nipple-sparing mastectomy and additional general surgery indications, and management reiterated that broadening clearances is central to replicating Korea’s adoption curve in the U.S. market. Recent FDA 510(k) clearances supporting advanced SP features further reinforce this trajectory.
The strategic question for investors is whether SP represents an incremental growth driver or primarily a substitute for multiport da Vinci volumes. Management’s commentary points toward incremental adoption, with SP’s differentiated access, smaller footprint, and expanding indications potentially enabling minimally invasive surgery in patient populations and anatomies not well served by multiport systems.
While still a small contributor in absolute terms, SP’s growth profile suggests single-port surgery may finally be transitioning from niche to mainstream, provided regulatory expansion and clinical evidence continue to build.
Peer Updates
Stryker’s (SYK - Free Report) robotic surgery momentum remained strong in the third quarter, as the company reported its best-ever quarter for Mako installations, with surgeons continuing to expand use across hips, knees, and increasingly complex cases.Stryker highlighted ongoing software enhancements tied to Mako 4, designed to improve precision and digital integration, reinforcing its leadership in orthopedic robotics.
Strong utilization rates further validate the platform’s stickiness, supported by new tools and navigation upgrades scheduled for reveal at Investor Day. The broader Robotics & Enabling Technologies portfolio also benefited from growth in navigational technologies, with robust placements enhancing Stryker’s ability to bundle capital, consumables and surgical guidance solutions across sites of care.
Globus Medical’s (GMED - Free Report) robotics and navigation ecosystem continues to scale, even as capital sales slowed in the third quarter. The company launched ExcelsiusXR, a wearable extended-reality navigation headset that improves surgeon focus and ergonomics by integrating visualization directly into the workflow.
GMED also secured FDA clearance for expanded ExcelsiusGPS instrumentation, enabling compatibility with additional interbody fusion devices — critical for accelerating pull-through after the NuVasive merger.
With more than 115,000 robotic spine procedures completed to date, Globus Medical is deepening its single-vendor spine ecosystem, pairing imaging (E3D), navigation (ExcelsiusHub/XR) and robotics (EGPS) into a unified platform designed to standardize workflows and drive implant growth.
ISRG’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of ISRG have gained 5.4% in the past six months compared with an 8% increase for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Intuitive Surgical trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 59.89, above the industry average. But it is still lower than its five-year median of 71.52. ISRG carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intuitive Surgical’s 2026 earnings implies an 11.1% rise from the year-ago period’s level.
Image: Shutterstock
ISRG Sees 91% SP Growth: A Turning Point for Single-Port Surgery?
Key Takeaways
Intuitive Surgical’s (ISRG - Free Report) single-port (SP) platform is quietly emerging as one of the most intriguing growth vectors within the company’s portfolio. In the third quarter of 2025, SP procedures surged 91% year over year, far outpacing overall da Vinci growth and underscoring accelerating adoption, particularly outside the United States.
The strongest traction continues to come from Korea, where management noted that SP utilization now exceeds that of the legacy Xi system. Korea has historically been an early adopter of advanced robotic techniques, and higher utilization suggests SP is moving beyond novelty toward routine clinical use.
Management emphasized an expanding body of clinical evidence suggesting that SP provides patient benefits beyond cosmetic outcomes, with potential improvements in recovery times and length of stay. This reframing could be influential for surgeons and hospital administrators as they evaluate wider adoption.
While SP adoption in the United States remains at an early stage, the addressable market is broadening. Intuitive Surgical reported initial domestic use of the SP stapler in colorectal and thoracic procedures during the quarter, both sizable procedural categories with the potential to drive incremental volume. Surgeons involved in early thoracic cases reported positive early outcomes and favorable feedback on usability, indicating SP may be approaching a meaningful capability threshold.
Regulatory momentum is another key catalyst. Intuitive Surgical has completed U.S. regulatory submissions for nipple-sparing mastectomy and additional general surgery indications, and management reiterated that broadening clearances is central to replicating Korea’s adoption curve in the U.S. market. Recent FDA 510(k) clearances supporting advanced SP features further reinforce this trajectory.
The strategic question for investors is whether SP represents an incremental growth driver or primarily a substitute for multiport da Vinci volumes. Management’s commentary points toward incremental adoption, with SP’s differentiated access, smaller footprint, and expanding indications potentially enabling minimally invasive surgery in patient populations and anatomies not well served by multiport systems.
While still a small contributor in absolute terms, SP’s growth profile suggests single-port surgery may finally be transitioning from niche to mainstream, provided regulatory expansion and clinical evidence continue to build.
Peer Updates
Stryker’s (SYK - Free Report) robotic surgery momentum remained strong in the third quarter, as the company reported its best-ever quarter for Mako installations, with surgeons continuing to expand use across hips, knees, and increasingly complex cases.Stryker highlighted ongoing software enhancements tied to Mako 4, designed to improve precision and digital integration, reinforcing its leadership in orthopedic robotics.
Strong utilization rates further validate the platform’s stickiness, supported by new tools and navigation upgrades scheduled for reveal at Investor Day. The broader Robotics & Enabling Technologies portfolio also benefited from growth in navigational technologies, with robust placements enhancing Stryker’s ability to bundle capital, consumables and surgical guidance solutions across sites of care.
Globus Medical’s (GMED - Free Report) robotics and navigation ecosystem continues to scale, even as capital sales slowed in the third quarter. The company launched ExcelsiusXR, a wearable extended-reality navigation headset that improves surgeon focus and ergonomics by integrating visualization directly into the workflow.
GMED also secured FDA clearance for expanded ExcelsiusGPS instrumentation, enabling compatibility with additional interbody fusion devices — critical for accelerating pull-through after the NuVasive merger.
With more than 115,000 robotic spine procedures completed to date, Globus Medical is deepening its single-vendor spine ecosystem, pairing imaging (E3D), navigation (ExcelsiusHub/XR) and robotics (EGPS) into a unified platform designed to standardize workflows and drive implant growth.
ISRG’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of ISRG have gained 5.4% in the past six months compared with an 8% increase for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Intuitive Surgical trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 59.89, above the industry average. But it is still lower than its five-year median of 71.52. ISRG carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intuitive Surgical’s 2026 earnings implies an 11.1% rise from the year-ago period’s level.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.