A surgical robot developed in part by a Louisville doctor has landed on TIME magazine's Best Inventions of 2026 list, and that same doctor says he was the first in the world to use it on a patient. Dr. Jeffrey Gum, a spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine, helped design the Medtronic Stealth AXiS Surgical System, which combines AI-assisted planning, real-time navigation and robotic assistance for spine, cranial and ENT procedures.
TIME included the Stealth AXiS Surgical System among its annual roundup, describing it as a platform built to help surgeons plan and execute personalized procedures based on a patient's needs, according to TIME. The magazine notes the system is meant to streamline the planning and navigation of complicated surgical procedures. TIME also reports the system received FDA clearance in February 2026. As WLKY first reported locally, the honor puts a Louisville name behind a device now drawing national attention.
A Louisville First, Disputed Elsewhere
Norton Healthcare says Dr. Gum played a critical role in the system's development and has become the first surgeon in the world to perform spine surgery using it, according to a statement from Norton Healthcare provider news. Norton Healthcare congratulated Dr. Gum and his team for advancing spine care with the milestone. WDRB also reported the first-in-the-world claim.
MassDevice has reported that doctors at HCA Virginia's Reston Hospital Center performed surgery using the Medtronic Stealth AXiS Autopilot surgical robot.
What the System Actually Does
Medtronic has described Stealth AXiS as combining artificial intelligence-based planning, real-time navigation and robotic assistance in one platform, per MedTech Dive. The platform introduces a real-time alignment tracking system that can detect patient movement during surgery and adjust accordingly, the Norton Healthcare provider statement notes. It's also designed to support faster operating-room times, improve usability for surgeons and connect to a cloud-based ecosystem that enhances preoperative planning.
Medtronic announced the completion of its first clinical cases using the Stealth AXiS Surgical System following recent FDA clearances, according to a company announcement. The system is positioned as part of Medtronic's AiBLE smart ecosystem for connected neurosurgical care, the same announcement states.
A Crowded, Competitive Market
MedTech Dive reports Medtronic says it's gaining market share in the $15 billion cranial and spinal technologies market, with Johnson & Johnson and Globus Medical identified as competitors in the spine space. The outlet notes Medtronic built its robotics capability in part through the $1.64 billion acquisition of Mazor Robotics in 2018, and has also partnered with Siemens Healthineers to integrate its AiBLE spine-surgery products with Siemens' Multitom Rax robotic X-ray system.
Stealth AXiS wasn't the only invention to make TIME's list this year. The magazine's 2026 roundup includes 300 inventions overall. For Louisville, though, the headline is closer to home: a hometown surgeon helped build a tool now recognized on a national stage, even as the record on exactly who used it first remains contested.
