Can a Robot Really Perform Surgery Without Human Help?

A robot developed at Johns Hopkins University has completed a very intricate part of gallbladder surgery without the help of a human. The researchers say this is a first of this kind. Before this, a machine has never ever carried out such a realistic surgical task on its own. It handled the operation with precision, even when things did not go exactly as planned.

The robot, named SRT-H, uses AI and learned by watching real surgical videos. It also responded to voice instructions, much like a human trainee would. The work was funded by the United States government.

 

What Makes This Robot Different From Older Models?

 

Previous surgical robots needed everything to be carefully planned before surgery. This one worked more like a mechanical helper than a “decision maker”.

SRT-H is on a different level… it performed all 17 steps of a gallbladder removal on an anatomical model. It had to figure out where things were using only visual cues with no guides, markers, or fixed steps.

During testing, the robot handled random starting positions and changes in appearance caused by dye meant to mimic blood. Even with those complications, it performed every task correctly, and its success rate stayed at 100 per cent across all eight full procedures.

 

How Did The Robot Learn To Do Surgery?

 

Instead of being told every movement in advance, SRT-H was taught more like a junior surgeon. It watched 17 hours of videos from real operations. Each of the 16,000 human motions was labelled with clear descriptions so the robot could understand what was being done and why.

It then practised using feedback from researchers. During training runs, they spoke to it using instructions like “grab the gallbladder head” or “move the left arm a bit to the left.” The robot listened and adjusted its actions.

The system uses the same kind of AI technology found in ChatGPT. It learns through both pictures and language. This mix helped it carry out complex surgery without freezing when conditions changed, something older systems often failed to handle.

 

 

Has This Technology Been Used Before?

 

This type of robot-assisted soft tissue surgery was tested before in 2022. In that earlier version, the robot known as STAR carried out a procedure to reconnect two ends of an intestine. That operation, called anastomosis, is one of the most delicate parts of gastrointestinal surgery. Even a small mistake can cause a leak, which can be dangerous.

The 2022 version of STAR completed the task in four pigs. According to Axel Krieger from Johns Hopkins, the robot produced better results than human surgeons who had done the same procedure. It was guided by a vision system and used machine learning to adapt during the operation. Unlike the 2025 version, that robot still needed a larger opening in the body and more support from people in the room.

That earlier test helped researchers understand how to improve the robot’s accuracy and independence. The current version now works through small incisions and reacts faster to changes during the operation. The researchers also added better tools and imaging to help the robot make its own decisions.

 

Is This Safe For Human Patients?

 

The robot has only operated on pig cadavers and anatomical models so far. Still some work to do before it can be used in real hospitals. That said, the researchers believe this is an important part of the journey towrads a new generation of surgical tech.

Axel Krieger, who led the team at Johns Hopkins, said that current surgical robots have not lowered complication rates compared to traditional keyhole surgery. This made them think about what might come next in robotic tools that can actually help patients and doctors.

Danail Stoyanov at University College London said the study shows what is possible when computer vision and AI meet robotic surgery. He praised the progress in surgical video technology and open platforms that let researchers build smarter machines.