Allina Health Buffalo Hospital expands its robotic surgical systems, bringing greater precision to many surgeries

BUFFALO, Minn. (Feb. 23, 2026) — Patients outside the Twin Cities metro area can now benefit from even more robot-assisted surgeries at Allina Health Buffalo Hospital. The addition of Intuitive’s da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system is part of Allina Health’s continued investment in innovative surgical technology that helps improve patient outcomes, reduce recovery time and lower the cost of care.

Surgical teams at Allina Health Buffalo Hospital successfully completed a variety of surgeries with the da Vinci Xi robotic surgery platform since receiving it late last year. These Include hernia repairs, plus gallbladder and appendix removals. Soon, surgeons will also use the da Vinci Xi for urology and obstetrics and gynecology procedures, such as bowel resections and uterus or uterine fibroid removals.

“Robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci system gives surgeons a high-definition, 3D view of the surgical area which improves our ability to perform safe surgeries, said Rachel Tay, MD, general surgeon at Allina Health Buffalo Hospital. “In addition, the steady robotic arms and increased range of motion allow the surgeon’s movements to be more precise than with traditional minimally invasive procedures. That precision means we can work carefully in small or delicate areas, make smaller incisions, and perform a wider range of procedures using a minimally invasive approach, resulting in excellent outcomes and a smoother recovery for patients.”

More than a dozen other robotic systems – including the Ion used in lung procedures, the Mako for orthopedic surgeries (also available at Buffalo Hospital), and the Mazor X for spine surgeries – are used throughout the Allina Health system. The addition of the da Vinci Xi robotic surgical platform to the Allina Health Buffalo Hospital illustrates Allina Health’s commitment to providing more people with easy access to highly skilled providers who are using the latest technology. 

According to Christopher Macomber, MD, MBA, FACS, medical director of Allina Health's robotic surgery and technology program, the health system has more than doubled its inventory of robotic surgical systems across its locations in recent years. In 2025 alone, more than 13,300 robotics procedures were performed at Allina Health across multiple specialties on numerous robotic platforms, including General Surgery, Urology, OB/Gyn, Thoracic, Orthopedic and Spine Surgery and Interventional Pulmonology.

“Since 2018, surgeons at Allina Health have performed more than 35,000 robotic cases, making us a top robotics program in the region,” Dr. Macomber said. “We have expanded this technology outside of the larger metro hospitals and into our regional hospitals to ensure surgeons have access to the best technology for their patients.”