Levita Magnetics brings MARS Magnetic Surgery Platform to Florida for the first time
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Levita Magnetics, a Silicon Valley medical technology company advancing minimally invasive surgery, has performed its first Magnetic Surgery procedures in Florida using the MARS platform.
The milestone marks the Florida debut of MARS at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami, the first hospital in the state to offer this technology, expanding access to less invasive surgery in Florida.
Built on Levita’s proprietary Dynamic Magnetic Positioning technology, the MARS platform works in conjunction with Levita’s Magnetic Surgical System (MSS) to guide surgical instruments magnetically from outside the body, reducing the number of traditional incisions a procedure requires.
A defining feature is active retraction through magnetic control, which retracts tissue magnetically rather than through a separate incision, paired with stable, surgeon-controlled visualization. The reduced-port approach is associated with fewer incisions and less scarring.
The MARS platform is FDA-cleared and has been used in more than 2,500 surgeries to date (Levita Magnetics, data on file). MARS has been evaluated across multiple prospective clinical trials. The original pivotal clinical trial of Levita’s magnetic surgery system reported 94-96 percent patient satisfaction and an average return to work of five days. In the first prospective trial of the MARS platform specifically, 92.5 percent of patients reported being very satisfied with the system and 97.5 percent said they would recommend it to others.
“The MARS system was quick to adopt and integrates smoothly into how our team functions, providing stable, consistent visualization,” said Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz, MD, world-renowned bariatric surgeon who performed the procedures at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital.
“Throughout the procedure, the camera and retraction are surgeon-controlled, which eliminates the need for an additional assistant at the table, minimizing distraction and maintaining optimal efficiency in the operating room,” Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz added.
“Bringing MARS to Florida is a meaningful step in our mission to make surgery less invasive and more human-centered,” said Alberto Rodríguez-Navarro, MD, co-founder, Levita Magnetics.
“Every expansion is ultimately about the patient. By reducing the footprint of surgery on the body, we help surgeons deliver care that allows patients to recover faster, and we are proud to bring that to more patients across Florida through our new collaboration with HCA Florida Mercy Hospital,” Dr. Rodríguez-Navarro added.
The milestone arrives in a moment of growing interest in less invasive solutions for weight management, as adoption of magnetic-assisted surgery expands across institutions.
“Bariatric procedures like those performed with Levita’s MARS technology are drawing renewed interest as patients seek durable alternatives for weight management,” Dr. Rodríguez-Navarro continued. “While pharmaceutical treatments such as GLP-1 medications have drawn significant attention, peer-reviewed research, including studies of semaglutide and tirzepatide, indicates that many patients regain substantial weight after discontinuing treatment.
“For those seeking a durable, less invasive surgical option, bariatric surgery remains a long-term solution, and the MARS platform supports these procedures through a reduced-incision approach associated with shorter hospital stays and lower postoperative pain scores,” Dr. Rodríguez-Navarro concluded.
Levita Magnetics was co-founded by Dr. Alberto Rodríguez-Navarro, MD, FACS, a minimally invasive surgeon, and Nicolás Luksic, a Chilean businessman and entrepreneur with a background in private equity and technology investment. Together, they combined breakthrough clinical innovation with strategic business vision to develop the MARS platform, pioneering a new category of minimally invasive surgery.
Levita has also opened a new Miami location to complement its Silicon Valley headquarters. Miami was chosen for its vibrant and rapidly growing technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Miami office will serve as a training and expansion hub for Levita as surgeon adoption accelerates across the East Coast and Latin America.
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