National Surgical Assistant Association

08/26/2026

Help Shape the 2027 ASA & NSAA Joint Conference!

As we prepare for Tampa Bay, we want to hear from YOU.

What hands-on workshops would you like to see at the 2027 ASA & NSAA Joint Conference? What skills would help you grow in your practice and provide greater value to your surgeons and patients?

👇 Drop your ideas in the comments and help us build an outstanding conference experience.

Your Ideas. Your Conference. Your Future.

📍 Tampa Bay, Florida
📅 April 16-17, 2027

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

Save the Date: 8th Annual ASA & NSAA Joint Conference!

While conference registration will open at a later date, hotel rooms are officially available to book now! Secure your stay early to lock in the special conference rate and guarantee your spot at the host hotel.

📍 Venue: The Westin Tampa Bay | 7627 W Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa, FL 33607

📅 Dates: April 16–17, 2027

👉 Reserve your hotel room today and save the date! Stay tuned for registration details coming soon.

https://asa-nsaa.org/

08/13/2026

We’re thrilled to officially announce the newest National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA) Ambassadors!

These exceptional professionals embody the highest standards of clinical excellence, leadership, and advocacy in the operating room. Alongside our returning ambassadors; Leilani Settles, Loni Simonson, Holly Rusch, and David Roman, they will help strengthen connections with NSAA members nationwide, advance the surgical assistant profession, and contribute to the future of surgical patient care.

Please join us in giving a warm welcome and congratulations to our newest ambassadors:

Noah Hankerson
Michael Khalil
Ashley Givens

To our new and returning ambassadors: thank you for stepping up to lead, mentor, and inspire. We’re excited to see the incredible impact you’ll make together throughout the surgical community!

08/03/2026

Did you know? Research shows that playing a musical instrument helps trainees perform surgical tasks with greater precision and speed.
Building muscle memory, dexterity, and fine motor control on an instrument translates directly to surgical precision at the table.

HKU study of 203 final-year medical students shows those with musical experience completed surgical tasks 10 per cent faster and more skilfully.

07/27/2026

Exciting Advancement in Surgical Robotics & Patient Care!

Johnson & Johnson has received FDA De Novo market authorization for its OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System, marking the arrival of the world’s first table-integrated soft tissue robotic platform cleared in the U.S.

What Makes OTTAVA™ Unique for OR Teams?

Table-Integrated Architecture: Unlike traditional cart-mounted systems, OTTAVA’s four robotic arms are built directly into a standard-sized operating table. This offers a 30%–50% smaller footprint, maximizing space in crowded ORs and helping hospitals adapt to robotic surgery without major renovations.

Broad Initial Clearance: Authorized for multiple key general surgery procedures, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, cholecystectomy, appendectomy, fundoplication, hiatal hernia repair, and more.

Enhanced Collaboration & Workflow: Designed with zero-footprint arms and digital integration (connected to the Polyphonic™ digital ecosystem), allowing surgical teams to seamlessly collaborate, streamline intraoperative workflows, and deliver data-driven care.

As surgical assistants, staying at the forefront of surgical innovation is vital to providing optimal patient outcomes and supporting our surgical teams. Emerging platforms like OTTAVA™ reflect how technology continues to evolve to make minimally invasive procedures more accessible and efficient in operating rooms nationwide.

What are your thoughts on table-integrated robotic systems? How do you see this impacting OR setup and team dynamics in your facility? Let us know in the comments below!

Read the full announcement from J&J here:
https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/johnson-johnson-receives-fda-market-authorization-in-the-u-s-for-its-ottava-robotic-surgical-system

New Brunswick, N.J. – July 22, 2026 – Johnson & Johnson today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted De Novo authorization for the OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System, the world’s first table-integrated soft tissue robotic system. The system received marketing aut...

07/16/2026

In primary hip and knee arthroplasty, reusable gowns were associated with lower rates of PJI than single-use gowns, supporting further investigation into their role as a safe and sustainable alternative.



https://ow.ly/YgXZ50ZmQO4

07/09/2026

Researchers at UC San Diego have successfully completed the first preclinical in-vivo surgeries using teleoperated humanoid robots, marking a significant milestone in surgical innovation. One procedure was performed by a human surgeon and humanoid robot working together, while another was completed by two humanoid robots operating as a team.

Unlike traditional robotic surgical systems, these compact, mobile humanoid robots are designed to work alongside the surgical team and have the potential to improve access to care in rural, underserved, and disaster-response settings.

What are your thoughts on humanoid robots becoming part of the OR team?

For the first time, two teleoperated humanoid robots have been used to complete two surgeries during a preclinical trial, researchers report in the July 8 issue of the journal Nature. The work is the result of a collaboration between a team of engineers and a team of surgeons at the University of Ca...

06/24/2026

05/30/2026

A record 49,064 organ transplants were performed in the US in 2025. 📈

This milestone reflects a growing trend driven by advances in clinical care, organ preservation, and policy—helping surgeons expand the donor pool, improve outcomes, and save more lives.

Innovations like machine perfusion technologies are allowing more organs to be used, while evolving policies aim to create a more equitable and efficient system for allocation.

At the center of this progress are transplant surgeons, whose expertise continues to shape the future of care and increase the impact of organ donation.

📸 A living donor kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Nicole Turgeon at the Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas.

🔗 Read the full story: https://brnw.ch/21x2Pmu