The world’s first robotic cataract surgery has been performed in the United States.

The milestone procedure was completed by Dr Uday Devgan, a world-renowned cataract surgeon based in Los Angeles, using the Polaris platform, developed by Horizon Surgical Systems.

Polaris is the first surgical platform purpose-built for ophthalmology that fuses artificial intelligence-driven visualisation with microrobotic control, aiming to reduce variability, increase precision, and integrate seamlessly into established operating room workflows, Horizon said.

The company said the breakthrough procedure demonstrated “precision, consistency, and efficiency”.

“Every cataract patient deserves the same level of safety, precision, and visual outcome, but the reality is that even the best surgeons can encounter subtle inconsistencies across procedures,” said Dr Devgan.

“With Polaris, I experienced a new level of control that directly addresses those challenges. It has the potential to deliver more reliable outcomes for patients while giving surgeons the confidence that every case can be approached with greater consistency.”

Horizon CEO Dr Jean Pierre Hubschman said the first-in-human procedure represents the culmination of more than a decade of innovation and the start of Polaris’ clinical journey.

“Achieving the world’s first successful robotic cataract surgery is a landmark milestone that underscores how robotics and AI can help address some of the most pressing challenges in global eye care.”

In the coming months, Horizon expects to treat additional patients and demonstrate the expanded capabilities of Polaris, with the ultimate goal of securing United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and commercialisation. The Polaris platform is currently only for investigational use.