The Rise of Robotic Colon Surgery

One of the latest operative techniques in minimally invasive colon or rectal surgery is robotic-assisted surgery. Colon cancer is one of the leading causes for death in the United States. Robotic colorectal surgery, using da Vinci surgical robotic system, allows for the benefit of minimally invasive surgery along with the fine precision, 3-D vision, and magnified view afforded only by a robotic machine. In fact, the use of robotic colorectal surgery has increased in the recent years. Your doctor controls the da Vinci surgical system, which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside your body. With its state-of-the-art technology, the system gives positive outcomes to the patients. However, the system has gained a lot of complaints of side effects due to the use of da Vinci surgical system. To learn more about some of the complaints, you can refer at davinci-lawsuit.org.

Advantages:

Learn from this article some of the benefits of robotic colorectal surgery that have made it popular among colon cancer patients:

• The main advantage of robotic colorectal surgery is the avoidance of large-sized incision.
• Only five quarter-inch incisions are made during robotic surgery.
• Less blood are lost during surgery.
• Significantly less pain felt after surgery.
• Less scarring due to small-sized incisions.
• Shorter hospital stays
• Speedy recovery and return to normal activities

There are fewer risks, less-postoperative pain, quicker recovery, and less blood loss and scarring. But sometimes we have to convert to open surgery midway through the operation and make a large cut in the patient’s stomach to get to the cancer, if we find it is too hard to reach with the keyhole instruments. This can lengthen operating time considerably, which raises risks.

As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is both patient- and procedure-specific. While robotic-assisted lobectomy is considered safe and effective, it may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.

References:

• cpmc.org/services/surgery/robotic/conditions/colon-cancer.html
• robotic-surgery.med.nyu.edu/for-patients/our-departments/general-surgery/conditions/colorectal-cancer
• muh.org.au/servicesspecialties/roboticsurgeryprogram/typesofsurgery/colorectalsurgery.aspx

Injuries Caused by Robotic Surgery Widely Unreported by Hospitals

The use of an increasingly popular surgical robot called da Vinci surgical system has become controversial among health expert. Additionally, there are many hospitals that failed to report the adverse events associated with da Vinci robotic surgery, according to online sources. It is believed that one of the many reasons is that patients are unaware of the potential health hazards after the surgery. The manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical, was unable to give sufficient reports, providing only the benefits and advantages of robotic surgery over traditional, and failed to report the potential side effects brought about by the use of their product.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has claimed to received vastly unreported deaths and injuries associated with medical device. There are researchers who have discovered another five incidences that never made it into FDA’s lists. An additional five mishaps might sound insignificant, but some suggest that the finding still underestimates the number of da Vinci incidents that have gone unmentioned: reports filed with the FDA are merely “the tip of the iceberg” where surgical complications are concerned.

Da Vinci is often used in surgical procedures such as prostate gland removal and hysterectomy, but is by no means independent. Robotic surgery is a type of procedure that is similar to laparoscopic surgery. It also can be performed through smaller surgical cuts than traditional open surgery. The small, precise movements that are possible with this type of surgery give it some advantages over standard endoscopic techniques. The da Vinci’s fourth arm contains a magnified high-definition 3-D camera that guides the surgeon during the procedure.

Although its manufacturer claimed da Vinci offers less post-operative complication, shorter hospital stay, and fast return to normal activities, we are aware that there is no guarantee in the field of medicine. However, the surgeon is required to undergo rigid training before operating the surgical robot. The course is designed to provide surgeons an initial skills training experience in robotic surgery skills, and to provide practicing surgeons a method of self-assessment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still advised patients to thoroughly discuss their surgical plans with their surgeon to avoid any future health troubles.

References:

• fiercehealthit.com/story/hospitals-often-dont-report-robotic-surgery-adverse-events/2014-01-02
• pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/11/mishaps-and-deaths-caused-by-surgical-robots-going-underreported-to-fda.html
• theverge.com/2013/9/10/4714850/robotic-surgery-mishaps-underreported-to-the-fda