The First Robotic Surgery was Performed by a Robot Named PUMA - Apparently.
In 1985, a robotic arm called PUMA (Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly) was used to assist in a groundbreaking surgical procedure. PUMA was a robot developed by General Motors to perform tasks in a factory setting, but it was repurposed for medical use. On September 21, 1985, Dr. Thomas C. Schönholz used PUMA to perform the world's first robotic-assisted surgery, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), at the Stanford University Medical Center.