Company that makes da Vinci surgical robot cuts hundreds of Bay Area jobs

(KRON) — Intuitive Surgical Inc., the company that makes the widely used robotic da Vinci Surgical System, has cut hundreds of Bay Area jobs. According to a state filing with the Employment Development Department, the company will be cutting 331 jobs at its Sunnyvale facility on Kifer Road.

The job cuts were announced last Thursday, Aug. 21 and will take effect on Oct. 27. The layoffs, which are in the company’s manufacturing division, are permanent according to state filings.

According to a WARN (Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification) notice, the layoffs are a result of cutting weekend and graveyard shifts for Ion Instruments & Accessories (I&A) production along with related logistics and quality operations activities.

The majority of the positions being cut are assembly technicians.

The company’s flagship product, the da Vinci robot-assisted surgery system, provides a minimally invasive surgical option for procedures that include prostatectomies, cardia valve repair, renal and gynecologic surgical producedures.