The State of Robotic Surgery 72
kkleiner writes "Robotic surgery is experiencing explosive growth in America's operating rooms, and the unquestioned industry leader in this field is the DaVinci robot, made by Intuitive Surgical. Only 14% of prostate surgeries in the US last year took place not using the DaVinci. Installations have grown from 210 systems seven years ago to 1,395 today. Although typically used for smaller surgeries like prostate removal and hysterectomies, the system was recently used for a kidney transplant, and more complicated procedures are expected in the future. The DaVinci is really just the first wave of robotic surgery as technology continues to push clumsy human hands out of the operating room." The article mentions some of the downsides, or perhaps the growing pains, of DaVinci robotic surgery: "According to a large study of Medicare patients, robotic prostate surgery led to fewer in-hospital complications, but had worse results for impotence and incontinence ..." Another company makes a simulator to train surgeons on the DaVinci. Embedded in the article is a 2009 TED talk on DaVinci by a surgeon.
Re:Incontinence or Death (Score:2, Interesting)
Having had my Prostate removed the choice is neither with conventional surgery. That tells me this surgery is not as good as non robotic surgery like I had. I don't have problems with leaking or impotence. Given the choice I would go for non robotic surgery.
Cost benefit? (Score:2, Interesting)
Really difficult surgery (Score:5, Interesting)
It would be interesting if robots like the DaVinci could in future operate on a smaller scale and in trickier parts of the body. Some cancers (for example) are inoperable because of their location in the body. Maybe a robot could cut out most of the tumor in these cases and leave chemotherapy or radiotherapy devices behind the clean up the rest.
Re:Cost benefit? (Score:2, Interesting)
It will cost the insurance companies less (shorter hospital stay) so therefore, it's all benefit to them. Expect to see this tech continue to expand, even at the cost of customers' leaky, flaccid weiners.
It's Cool. (Score:3, Interesting)
I for one welcome our robotic overlords... I mean, helpers!
Last month I got to play with one of the Da Vinci units at a car show (why it was there is anyone's guess). I am amazed at how intuitive it was to use- even though I was just putting tiny rubber bands on small rubbery cone-thingies, the 3D display and 1:1 motion mapping really made it feel like an extension of my body. Even though the unit doesn't use force feedback, it almost seemed like it did (just my brain, I guess). The most amazing part? My 7-year-old niece had absolutely no problem using it, and now she wants to become a doctor.
Cool stuff.
Should put one on the ISS (or Antarctica) (Score:3, Interesting)
The best use for this would be to put one on the ISS (or other "nearby" manned spacecraft where speed of light time-lag is not too long).
That way, you'll have an emergency "surgeon" available in case of a medical emergency. Nowhere near as good as a real live doc but better than nothing.
I understand a few years ago, a female scientist had to be evacuated from the Antarctic base in the dead of the ANTARCTIC(!) winter because she had breast cancer. This could have prevented that (and eliminated the risk to the rescue crew. I think they had to keep the plane's engines on so that the skids wouldn't freeze to the ice).
Now what was the name of that "emergency medical program" on Star Trek?
Re:Nosferatu (Score:3, Interesting)
Just like laparoscopic surgery maybe? (Score:2, Interesting)
when laparoscopic surgery came in there were all these studies done that showed one thing or another. for example, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) is a very common operation. apparently there are studies done that show 10% of the time you will have damage to the common bile duct (which would be bad). any general surgeon worth his salt these days will tell you that 10% chance is more like 0.5% or better.
my point is, maybe people just need to get better at using these things? it's not like playing a computer game, the surgery is still very complicated.
of course I'm no expert but hey, this is /. isn't it?
Re:These devices are not robots. (Score:5, Interesting)
That's a valid point. Also, every technology - and medicine is no different in this - has it's phase of enthusiastic adoption, eventual disappointment when it's found out it's not as good as previously hoped, and then a phase of rational use in indications where it makes sense. I remember the time when surgeons would do 6-hour laparoscopies because it was IN. Later they realized that a 2-hour open surgery is actually better for the patient and laparoscopies were limited to cases where they make sense.
I am a doctor in a university hospital and I recently went out to have beer with a friend of mine from the urology department. He's the chief "robot operator" for our hospital and he hates the machine with a vengence. No only are the operations several times more expensive (and longer), but to get the money they paid for the machine back, the hospital forces him to use the robot even on cases that would be much better done hands-on. Patients with more complications and longer hospital stay are no exceptions. To me this still seems like a technology we are yet to learn to use properly. Use it for remote operations where the surgeon is not physically available, use it in indications where it makes sense, but don't believe in all-saving robotic future of surgery. It's not here yet. The adoption cycle of many older technologies should serve as a warning.