Robotic Surgery: A Concern or Innovation?

As technology improves robots performing task in the medical has become a familiar sight, but not everyone is on board with the thought of a robot performing or assisting surgery. Then this brings the question should patients be more concerned for their safety when getting operated on by a doctor or a robot? There haven’t been many cases of robotic surgery killing or severely injuring a patient. Plus the cost of robotic surgery is not costly. Still traditional open cut surgery gives faster recovery times. So should patients have more concerns about robotic surgery than traditional?

Robotic assisted surgery is surgery that allows doctors to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility than is possible with conventional techniques. Robotic surgery is associated with minimally invasive surgery and procedures performed through tiny incisions. This is like giving the doctor an extra tool to

make sure they perform the surgery to the best of their ability. Robotic surgery was introduced in the 1990’s, but the wasn’t until 2000 when the U.S. Drug and Food administration approved the da Vinci robotic system, did the technique spread quickly across hospitals around the United States.
Robotic assisted surgery is very young compared to traditional surgery since it has been introduced to hospitals in the 21st century. It is not surprising if there are some who are not open to this new technique to doing surgery. Robotic surgery isn't an option for everyone. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of robotic surgery and how it compares with other techniques, such as other types of minimally invasive surgery and conventional open surgery (Mayoclincstaff). In asking doctors in their okay with a patient be operated under robotic surgery the patient can be more clear if they can be operated under certain circumstances. All of the studies so far show its no better or worse, but it takes longer and is more expensive (Breeden)(Howard). It is only fair the patient should have a choice to put the life in danger for a different technique that had no difference from a traditional surgery except how more the price will be to get operated.
Marty Makary a surgeon at John Hopkins and author of several studies done on robotic surgery says “While the robot provides a benefit in some operations, most uses are for procedures where there are no advantages and there may be potential risks.” Doctors are not trying to downplay the advantages about robotic assisted surgery. They have an obligation of telling their patients the possible risk and financial factors that come with getting operated by robots. As of august 2012, 71 deaths have been logged by the FDA’s online reporting database. And adverse events involving the robot increased 34 percent between 2011 and 2012 alone, prompting the FDA to launch an inquiry (Howard). A John Hopkins study says that these deaths and events were likely underreported, which should be major concerns for a patient who have the intentions of being operated by robotic assisted surgery. The numbers that were previously shown were not are not implying that those 71 deaths are because of complications that occurred during the surgeries , it just says that robots had somewhat of a part in these past deaths and future patients should take those numbers under considerations when planning to get robotic assisted surgery.
Despite of the risks that come with robotic assisted surgery multiple sources have one common reward of robotic assisted surgery: greater precision during operations.

This is an advantage since there were few minimally invasive surgeries until the robotic assistance came along. This helps operations like prostate removal, and complex cancer surgeries. Myriam Curter the medical adviser of Intuitive Surgical says that "The system brings the most value when the procedure would otherwise be open.” The less more precise cuts the robot can manage to do on the patient and prevent the amount of blood loss the patient has to suffer. This can then help the patient recover faster. During a open cut surgery it is not uncommon for a patient to lose 600 cc to 1000 cc during the surgery. But during robotic assisted surgery a patient can lose only 200 cc or less which is very minor and brings no need for a blood transfusion. This step over the reports that surgeon Marty Makery made about robotic assisted surgery had no advantages that traditional surgeries didn’t

have.
The University of Pennsylvania says that robotic assisted surgery has its many benefits such as less postoperative pain. This all leads back to the fact that robots can make very precise cuts without causing a lot of pain. The University of Pennsylvania says that instead of having 5 to 6 incisions to the skin their he patient's end of having Band-Aid like incisions. This leads to less time in the hospital after the operation which lets the patients get back to their everyday life without small spurts of pain every now and then.
On the contrary Paul Elliot, a patient who was operated by robotic assisted surgery suffers permanent nerve damage because of being held in a unnatural position while being operated on. Surgeons using a robot don't get the tactile feedback that comes from cutting directly into a patient's tissue, and that can increase the risk of injury from hitting adjacent organs. The machine may also cause burns from the electric current (Howard).
To sum it up both techniques of surgery have their history of being effective but have slight health problems. Traditional surgery has been here for centuries and has saved lives of many. Doctors have dedicated their live for years and mastered the skills needed to help others. Truthfully I feel the robotic surgery will enhance the doctor’s skills and help bring surgery to another level.