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Medtronic has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the LigaSure™ RAS Maryland jaw device for use with the Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system. The clearance broadens the range of instruments available for the Hugo RAS system, bringing Medtronic’s established vessel-sealing technology to U.S. surgeons performing robotic-assisted procedures.

With robotic-assisted surgery continuing to expand across the U.S., surgeons are increasingly looking for access to the same trusted energy technologies they use in open and laparoscopic procedures within robotic workflows. The LigaSure RAS Maryland instrument addresses this need by combining the versatility of a robotic platform with vessel-sealing technology that surgeons have used and trusted for decades.

“Vessel sealing sits at the center of how surgeons work through the most demanding moments of a procedure, and surgeons have trusted LigaSure to do it across open and laparoscopic surgery for decades,” said Dr. Matthew Kroh, chief medical officer within the Surgical business at Medtronic and a practicing surgeon. “Bringing that same performance to the Hugo RAS system in the U.S. means surgeons carry the confidence and control they already rely on into their robotic-assisted cases.”

The Hugo RAS system is currently cleared for urologic surgical procedures in the U.S. and is being adopted by an increasing number of leading hospitals and health systems across the country. Medtronic is also continuing to advance plans to expand Hugo’s indications to a broader range of soft-tissue surgical procedures in the U.S., including general and gynecologic surgery. Internationally, the Hugo RAS system has supported tens of thousands of patients across more than 35 countries and more than 50 different surgical procedures spanning urology, general surgery and gynecology.

Developed specifically for use with the Valleylab™ FT10 energy platform on the Hugo™ RAS system, the LigaSure™ RAS Maryland instrument is designed to seal and cut vessels, thick tissue and lymphatics up to and including 7 mm in diameter. The instrument can seal vessels in approximately two seconds while helping to minimise thermal spread to surrounding tissue.

As Medtronic’s first robotic-driven LigaSure™ instrument, the technology builds on a platform that has been used in more than 45 million procedures across more than 65 countries over the past two decades. Following its CE Mark, the LigaSure RAS Maryland instrument was introduced for use with the Hugo™ RAS system in Europe in 2025.

The addition of the LigaSure™ RAS Maryland instrument further demonstrates Medtronic’s commitment to supporting surgeons across open, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgical approaches. By expanding the technologies available through the Hugo RAS system, Medtronic aims to provide surgeons and health systems with greater choice and support as they develop effective surgical programmes tailored to the individual needs of their patients.



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