Titan Medical Inc (TMDIF)

[66Mustang]

I think a lot of folks are losing some valuable distinctions. Dr. Vipul Patel was lamenting some shortcomings about the existing SP platform offered by ISRG. His comments were aimed strictly at that platform, as he was talking from the experience of doing large numbers of them. And his experience with large numbers of such cases are entirely with ISRG's SP.

On the other hand, he participated in this study:

https://titanmedicalinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Rogers-et-al-SPORT-Multi-Specialty-SRS-2018-Booklet-Version.pdf

I would have liked to see more specific comments and more detail in the conclusions, but the takeaway is the last line: "as of now the SPORT Surgical System by Titan Medical is proving to be a feasible and reliable advancement in the field of single incision robotic surgery."

Our design, as rudimentary as it was over two years ago, was agreed to be an advancement in single incision robotic surgery, of which there is still only one marketed offering, ISRG's SP.

If we go back a couple decades, ISRG's multiport da Vinci was new, and it was substantially better than the alternative, especially for prostate patients who previously were very likely to lose sexual function after prostatectomy. That improvement alone convinced me to invest at that time. It was just better.

ISRG's SP may still have a few issues to be worked through; maybe it will get better and maybe it won't. From a patient perspective, does the typical patient want up to a half dozen scars around his/her abdomen, or nothing visible because the only port is aligned with the umbilicus? Patients, who have a choice, are likely to choose the single port option when available, regardless of whether the surgeon is delayed by an extra 15 minutes in getting to his/her next case.

Dr. Patel may have vented this weekend about his personal feelings on ISRG's SP but he also contributed to the above conclusion that Titan offers an advancement - maybe at this point, sufficient advancement to overcome his current objections with ISRG SP.