Robotic Surgery: the Impacts of Costs, Access, and Quality
Robotic Surgery: the impacts of costs, access, and quality
As technology improves, surgical robots are rapidly gaining support among both doctors and patients across America. Today more than 900 hospitals have the da Vinci robot which is double the number in 2007. (Freyer, 2010) Da Vinci robots were first approved by the FDA in 2000 for prostate removal, but now da Vinci robots are used for a variety of other surgical procedures (Freyer, 2010). Robot assisted surgery offers advantages such as smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, less pain and faster healing time (Vijay, 2010), as well as making surgery less demanding for the surgeon. Robotic surgery involves many obvious advantages but the impact of cost, access, and quality must also be examined. Surgeons are finding that robots are necessary for their hospital to have. “Robotic surgery represents a huge leap over laparoscopic surgery” (Ronning, 2009). Both involve inserting surgical instruments and cameras through small incisions, but da Vinci technology is much more advanced. It provides three-dimensional, high-definition images of the surgical site and uses a sensitive surgical wrist that rotates 540 degrees (Ronning, 2009). A robot’s small arms and 540 degree rotation allows for robots to reach places human hands cannot. This may be a reason robotic technology is growing in pediatric surgeries. “Unaccommodating places are what robot-assisted surgery is all about” (Berlinger,2006). The robot can move through the body freely which is a definite advantage over the human hand. Also human hands are not nearly as stabile as a robot which makes a difference when there is only a small area to work with (Berlinger, 2006). Doctors also prefer robotic surgery because it is less physically demanding and it allows for less people in the operating room. Normally multiple surgeons are needed because a human only has two hands but the da Vinci robots have 4 arms. More and more doctors are using robots during
As technology improves, surgical robots are rapidly gaining support among both doctors and patients across America. Today more than 900 hospitals have the da Vinci robot which is double the number in 2007. (Freyer, 2010) Da Vinci robots were first approved by the FDA in 2000 for prostate removal, but now da Vinci robots are used for a variety of other surgical procedures (Freyer, 2010). Robot assisted surgery offers advantages such as smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, less pain and faster healing time (Vijay, 2010), as well as making surgery less demanding for the surgeon. Robotic surgery involves many obvious advantages but the impact of cost, access, and quality must also be examined. Surgeons are finding that robots are necessary for their hospital to have. “Robotic surgery represents a huge leap over laparoscopic surgery” (Ronning, 2009). Both involve inserting surgical instruments and cameras through small incisions, but da Vinci technology is much more advanced. It provides three-dimensional, high-definition images of the surgical site and uses a sensitive surgical wrist that rotates 540 degrees (Ronning, 2009). A robot’s small arms and 540 degree rotation allows for robots to reach places human hands cannot. This may be a reason robotic technology is growing in pediatric surgeries. “Unaccommodating places are what robot-assisted surgery is all about” (Berlinger,2006). The robot can move through the body freely which is a definite advantage over the human hand. Also human hands are not nearly as stabile as a robot which makes a difference when there is only a small area to work with (Berlinger, 2006). Doctors also prefer robotic surgery because it is less physically demanding and it allows for less people in the operating room. Normally multiple surgeons are needed because a human only has two hands but the da Vinci robots have 4 arms. More and more doctors are using robots during
Cited: Berlinger, Norman T. "Robotic Surgery ? Squeezing into Tight Places." The New England Journal of Medicine 354 (2006): 2099-101. 18 May 2006. Web. Freyer, Felice J. "Hospital Set for Da Vinci Robot." The Providence Journal 14 Feb. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://www.projo.com/news/content/SURGICAL_ROBOT_02-14-10_KHHE381_v12.38ad83a.html>. Kolata, Gina. "Results Unproven, Robotic Surgery Wins Converts." New York Times. 13 Feb. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/health/14robot.html?pagewanted=1>. Kowalczyk, Liz. "Caution Sounded on Robot-aided Prostate Surgery." Boston Globe. 14 Oct. 2009. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/10/14/study_scrutinizes_robot_assisted_prostate_surgery/?page=1>. Mack, Michael J. "Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery." The Journal of the American Medical Association 285 (2001): 568-72. 7 Feb. 2001. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/285/5/568?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=robotic+surgery&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT>. Morgan, Jeffery A. "Does Robotic Technology Make Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Too Expensive? A Hospital Cost Analysis of Robotic and Conventional Techniques." Journal of Cardiac Surgery 20.3 (2005): 246-51. Print. Ronning, Andrea. "Oregon Hospitals Use Robots For Surgery." Maine News, Weather, Sports Channel 6 NBC Portland. 2009. Web. 05 Apr. 2010. <http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=109722&catid=45>. Vijay, Soni. "Da Vinci Robotic Surgery: Pros and Cons Medical Questions, Weight Loss, Pregnancy, Drugs, Health Insurance." Steady Health. 30 Mar. 2010. Web. 05 Apr. 2010. <http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Da_Vinci_Robotic_Surgery__Pros_and_Cons_a1259.html>.