8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: November 20, 2009

(Date of earliest event reported)

INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.

(exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	000-30713	77-0416458
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	Commission File Number	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1266 Kifer Road

Sunnyvale, California 94086

(Address of Principal executive offices, including zip code)

(408) 523-2100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On November 20, 2009, Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that it has received regulatory approval from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to allow marketing of its da Vinci S System in Japan. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

d) Exhibits.

99.1 Press release issued by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., November 20, 2009.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Date: November 23, 2009	By	/s/    MARSHALL L. MOHR
	Name:	Marshall L. Mohr
	Title:	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release issued by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., November 20, 2009.

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contacts:	Ben Gong	408-523-2175
		Laura Lee Luna	408-523-2161

da Vinci Approved in Japan

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. November 20, 2009 – Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG), the industry leader in surgical robotics, today announced that it has received regulatory approval from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to allow marketing of its da Vinci S System in Japan.

Commenting on the announcement, Gary Guthart, President and COO of Intuitive Surgical, said, “We are pleased with the Ministry of Health’s decision to grant Shonin approval for the da Vinci S Surgical System. This approval has been a long process for Intuitive, and we are happy to be one step closer to bringing our products to market in Japan. Our focus will now shift toward satisfying the trade and importation requirements necessary for commercialization and to obtain appropriate reimbursement for da Vinci procedures in Japan.”

About Intuitive’s Products

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG), headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is the global technology leader in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. Intuitive Surgical develops, manufactures and markets robotic technologies designed to improve clinical outcomes and help patients return more quickly to active and productive lives. The Company’s mission is to extend the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to the broadest possible base of patients. Intuitive Surgical — Taking surgery beyond the limits of the human hand™.

About the da Vinci® Surgical System

The da Vinci® System is a breakthrough surgical platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The da Vinci® System consists of an ergonomic surgeon console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance vision system and proprietary EndoWrist® instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic and computer technology, the da Vinci® System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon’s hand movements into more precise movements of the EndoWrist® instruments. The net result is an intuitive interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities. By providing surgeons with superior visualization, enhanced dexterity, greater precision and ergonomic comfort, the da Vinci Surgical System makes it possible for more surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures involving complex dissection or reconstruction. This ultimately has the potential to raise the standard of care for complex surgeries, translating into numerous potential patient benefits, including less pain, a shorter recovery and quicker return to normal daily activities.

Intuitive®, da Vinci®, da Vinci S®, da Vinci® Si™, InSite® and EndoWrist® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

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This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of our management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including the following: the impact of the global economic recession and tightening credit market and related impact on health care spending; timing and success of product development and market acceptance of developed products; regulatory approvals, clearances and restrictions; guidelines and recommendations in the health care and patient communities; intellectual property positions and litigation; competition in the medical device industry and in the specific markets of surgery in which Intuitive Surgical operates; unanticipated manufacturing disruptions; delays in regulatory approvals of new manufacturing facilities or the inability to meet demand for products, the results of the year end audit, and the other factors detailed from time to time under the heading “Risk Factors” in our report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as updated from time to time by our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q

and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements concerning forecasts, revenue growth, procedure growth, future financial results, and statements using words such as “estimate”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.