The math on surgical robots is still shaky, but providers keep buying. Freestanding ASCs are reimbursed less than hospitals and HOPDs for the same procedure, and using a robot does not change that math, according to Becker’s reporting of what leaders and other experts had to say.
Ye,t many ASC leaders told Becker’s they are moving toward robotics regardless because their surgeons are leaving them little choice; when surgeons look for a center to affiliate with, the presence or absence of a robot is increasingly a deciding factor.
Here are 14 spine and orthopedic providers that have added or expanded robotics programs in 2026:
ASCs, practices and surgical operators
1. USPI (Dallas)
USPI added roughly 150 robotic surgery programs in its ASCs in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
2. Surgery Partners (Brentwood, Tenn.)
Surgery Partners now runs 73 surgical robots and adds double-digit units each year. Its executives call robotics the primary unlock for physician adoption of higher-acuity ASC cases.
3. Ortho Rhode Island (Providence)
Ortho Rhode Island began offering Mako SmartRobotics for reverse shoulder replacements at the Ortho RI Surgery Center, according to a Feb. 2 news release. The ASC is one of only 20 sites nationwide with this capability, and it also began using Mako 4 for total hip, total knee and partial knee replacement procedures.
4. Surgery Center at Pelham (Greer, S.C.)
The ASC performed total knee arthroplasty using Stryker’s Mako robotic power system. “By building that relationship with Stryker, we were able to get the equipment up here and collaborate hand in hand with them on how to make it work in an ASC setting, how to make it cost-effective and how to get a return on investment,” said Bill Hazen, the center’s director.
Hospitals and health systems
5. Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.)
On Oct. 13, neurosurgeon Aaron Clark, MD, performed two minimally invasive spinal fusions at Sutter’s CPMC in San Francisco using Medtronic’s Stealth AXiS surgical system, combining robotic guidance with rods and implants designed for each patient’s anatomy. Sutter also launched the Sutter Advanced Neuroscience & Spine Institute in San Francisco, and the Advanced Neuroscience & Spine Care Complex at CPMC’s Mission Bernal campus is expected to open in 2028.
6. Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.)
Northwell’s South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y., began performing spinal fusion surgery using Mako robotic-assisted technology and plans to expand the program to serve additional patients across Long Island.
7. McKenzie Health (Watford City, N.D.)
McKenzie Health is now using a Mako robot for knee and hip surgeries, and eventually shoulder procedures.
8. Shore Medical Center (Somers Point, N.J.)
Shore Medical Center began offering the Velys active robotic assistance platform for spine surgery, which uses adaptive tracking to account for patient movement during surgery, according to a June 25 news release.
9. MedStar Health (Columbia, Md.)
Two MedStar hospitals hit robotic spine milestones this year. Surgeons at Baltimore-based MedStar Union Memorial Hospital collectively surpassed 1,000 robot-assisted spine surgeries since 2021 using an ExcelsiusGPS system, according to an April 7 news release. MedStar Washington Hospital Center also surpassed 500 spine procedures using the Cirq robotic arm.
10. Mountainside Medical Center (Montclair, N.J.)
The Hackensack Meridian Health hospital added ExcelsiusGPS instruments to its robotic-assisted surgery program, building on existing Excelsius3D and ExcelsiusGPS technologies. “We are committed to investing in advanced surgical technologies that elevate the level of care available to our community,” said Tim O’Brien, CEO of Mountainside Medical Center.
11. Southwoods Health (Boardman, Ohio)
Southwoods Health invested $1.3 million in the ExcelsiusGPS robotic navigation platform for spine surgery, according to an April 21 news release. Spine surgeons at the Southwoods Pain & Spine Center spent two years evaluating robotic-assisted systems before the purchase.
12. UC San Diego Health
UC San Diego Health completed a spine operation at Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, Calif., using an AI-guided robotic platform that combines imaging, alignment planning, patient-specific implants and robot-guided screw placement.
13. OHSU (Portland, Ore.)
On April 3, OHSU began using the J&J Velys Spine device for spinal screw placement. The OHSU Spine Center averages 1,000 surgical procedures a year.
14. Summerville (S.C.) Hospital
HCA Healthcare’s Summerville Hospital performed its first robotic knee replacement with a Mako system in January, bringing the hospital to eight robotic surgery systems. Only one of its nine operating rooms now operates without robotic capability.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
