Levita Magnetics’ Mars platform was used last week in Santiago, Chile, to perform the world’s first gallbladder surgery featuring an AI-guided autonomous surgical camera.

The landmark case at Clínica Las Condes, a premium private centre in Latin America, spotlights the Silicon Valley company’s role in global surgical innovation.

“This milestone shows how far magnetic-assisted surgery has come and where it’s headed,” said Alberto Rodriguez Navarro, CEO of Levita Magnetics. “By integrating artificial intelligence into the Mars platform, we are delivering the first true step towards surgical autonomy, changing how complex procedures are performed and how patients experience surgery.”

The platform integrates precision magnetic technology and AI to guide the surgical camera autonomously throughout this complex procedure. By reducing manual camera control, the AI-guided system enhances stability and provides surgeons with a clearer, uninterrupted field of vision, which is critical in high-volume operations such as cholecystectomy surgery. In this case, the Mars incorporated a Stryker 1788 4K camera, providing enhanced visualisation of the surgical field.

“The incorporation of AI into robotic systems is the next frontier in the ever-evolvingworld of surgical technology and education,” said Vip Patel, medical director of the AdventHealth’s Global Robotics Institute (globalrobotics.adventhealth.com/global-robotics-institute) and founder of the Society of Robotic Surgery (srobotics.org). “This initial experience provides optimism for the near future.”

Minimally invasive surgery has always depended on precise visualisation. Traditionally, this required a camera assistant to adjust angles manually at the surgeon’s request. The Mars system advanced this by giving surgeons direct control of the camera. With the introduction of AI, it now takes another step forward; the AI autonomously maintains perfect visualisation of the surgical field, ensuring uninterrupted focus, steadier imaging and a more efficient workflow in the operating room.

“With the Mars system, I already have direct control of the camera without relying on a first assistant,” said Ricardo Funke, chief of surgery at Clínica Las Condes (www.clinicalascondes.cl) in Santiago. “Now, with AI, the system can automatically keep my instruments in view. That autonomy gives me a stable, precise field of vision and allows me to focus entirely on the surgery itself. Looking ahead, this kind of autonomy has the potential to save time in the operating room, reduce staffing needs and ultimately lower costs for hospitals while improving patient outcomes.”

The Mars system (www.levita.com/mars) is built for procedures where efficiency, access and outcomes are critical, including bariatric and gallbladder surgeries performed millions of times each year. By combining magnetic technology with robotics, the system enables smaller incisions, fewer instruments and reduced staffing requirements, ultimately raising standards of care.

By embedding AI into surgical workflows, Levita is moving towards a future where digital assistance evolves into broader robotic integration, supporting surgeons with not only steadier visualisation but also intelligent, autonomous functions.

“What we are seeing is the beginning of true surgical autonomy, as robotics will be the physical expression of AI,” said Navarro. “Embedding AI into the surgical workflow not only enhances precision in the moment but also paves the way for smarter, more efficient operating rooms that reduce costs, improve access and elevate standards of care worldwide.”

Levita Magnetics (www.levita.com) is a Silicon Valley-based medical technology company, pioneering minimally invasive platforms that use magnetics to improve precision while reducing invasiveness. Its flagship Mars system provides surgeons enhanced control and visualisation while reducing trauma from traditional surgery. Mars, when used with Levita’s MSS magnetic surgical system, is FDA-cleared for gallbladder, bariatric, prostate, colorectal and hiatal hernia procedures. Together, Mars and MSS enable less invasive, controlled abdominal surgeries by combining dynamic magnetic positioning with instrumentation.