Touch Surgery

Touch Surgery is a London-based digital health developer creating interactive surgical simulations, operating room software and artificial intelligence tools. Its work combines medical expertise with 3D animation, software engineering and computer vision to support surgical education and the analysis of surgical procedures. The business serves hospitals, surgical training programmes and teams working with laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery.

Established in 2011, the company initially focused on helping surgeons learn the decisions and sequence of steps involved in an operation. Its mobile application uses interactive, step-by-step simulations to make surgical procedures accessible on phones and tablets. The platform now spans more than 400 procedure simulations across over 17 medical specialties, including orthopaedics, general surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and urology.

From simulation to connected surgery

The company's development expanded from educational content into tools for capturing, managing and interpreting operating room video. Touch Surgery Enterprise combines video capture with a connected cloud library, allowing surgical teams to store and review procedure recordings. Automated de-identification technology helps remove sensitive visual information from captured footage.

Touch Surgery Performance Insights applies machine learning to surgical video, identifying procedural phases and generating metrics for postoperative review. Touch Surgery Live Stream supports surgical broadcasting and tele-mentoring, extending the ecosystem beyond recorded learning materials. The company's newer Touch Surgery Aide platform brings embedded computing into the operating room for real-time AI applications.

Integration with Medtronic's Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system connects these digital capabilities to robotic workflows, supporting the capture and visualization of procedure data. Together, the products link simulation-based preparation, surgical video management and analysis within a broader digital surgery ecosystem.

Medtronic acquired the business in February 2020 and retained its London base as a Centre of Digital Excellence. Touch Surgery continues to operate within Medtronic's surgical robotics and digital technologies activities, combining its original educational focus with tools for connected surgical practice.