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$288.49 6.24 (2.21%)
7/18/2008 4:00 PM

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG)

CAPS Rating:
****

Manufacturer of da Vinci Surgical System, an advanced surgical system that provides the surgeon with range of motion and fine tissue control, previously possible only with open surgery while also allowing the surgeon to work through small ports.

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Avatar Flyfisherman4 (90.23) Submitted: 2/18/08 12:15 PM : Outperform Start Price: $148.50 ISRG Score: 112.94

Having had personal experience with the DaVinci robotic system from ISRG 2 years ago when I had a robotically-assisted radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer which took only 90 minutes, resulted in a single over-night stay in the hospital with essentially no post-operative pain, a return to work three days after the surgery, and now two years later what looks like a complete cure with no significant residual problems with urinary incontinence or sexual dysfunction of any kind, I am a complete believer and, per Peter Lynch, also now a shareholder, in ISRG.

I expect and firmly believe that the many technical advantages of robotically assisted surgery will lead to the widespread adoption of the DaVinci system in the months and years to come as the surgical approach of choice in numerous areas where it is not routinely used currently.

This, of course, will result in enormous sales of the robotic systems to hospitals that wish to remain competitive and on the cutting edge(no pun intended), and ever increasing sales of support services and consumables a la the Gillette razor blade model.

The only question I have re: ISRG is how fast and to what extent it will grow and what the implications of this growth will be for the value of the stock. My opinion, based on personal experience and the many untapped opportunities that remain in the surgical world for minimally invasive surgery to be fully and beneficially implemented, is that the growth of the company and the value of the stock will be phenomenal for years to come.

Go ISRG! Help more and more patients have more effective and less traumatic surgery with better outcomes and you will make your shareholders very happy as you do.

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Avatar malleycc (81.19) Submitted: 5/11/08 6:38 PM

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I agree with you 100% about ISRG -- great company, great potential and hopefully great long-term growth. And glad you are feeling better!

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Avatar Flyfisherman4 (90.23) Submitted: 5/29/08 1:14 PM

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Many Thanks!

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Avatar chb2441 (96.03) Submitted: 5/30/08 3:10 AM

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Happy you had such a great result, and what you are saying is true. The brightest application for the DaVinci is clearly urology and prostatectomy due to its location and the incredibly costly complication of impotence if you get the sacral nerves.
However, for the tremendous growth you and many others are expecting to buy at these prices, the robot will have to do more than just prostatectomies better than skilled "hands" of the surgeons. Many other surgeries thought to be better, shorter than traditional procedures have not lived up to the bill. How many prostatectomies are being done per year, and what percentage are done by the robot? Even if a majority convert over to robot assisted procedures, I dont believe that ISRG will attain the lofty growth that the stock price has built in.

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