Written by StockNews.com

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISRG) late Tuesday posted market-beating first quarter results, as its revolutionary surgical robotic-assisted surgery machine continues to prove very popular.

The Sunnyvale, CA-based surgical system maker reported:

• Q1 earnings per share (EPS) of $5.09, which was $0.11 better than the Wall Street consensus estimate of $4.98.
• Revenues rose 13.4% from last year to $674.2 million, also topping analysts’ view for $664.72 million...
• Worldwide da Vinci procedures rose almost 18% year-over-year in the latest period. That growth was driven mostly by U.S. general surgery procedures, along with worldwide urologic procedures.
• The company shipped 133 da Vinci Surgical Systems in Q1 2017, up from 110 in the first quarter of 2016.

ISRG is the number one name in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. First approved by the FDA back in 2000, its da Vinci surgical system is commonly used for prostatectomies, cardiac valve repair, and gynecologic surgical procedures. The system is operated by a doctor from a console, while a series of robotic arms does the physical work of operating on the patient.

...Year-to-date, ISRG had gained 19.74% prior to today’s report, versus a 5.08% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

ISRG currently has a StockNews.com POWR Rating of A (Strong Buy), and is ranked #5 of 122 stocks in the Medical – Devices & Equipment category.