The accidents encountered while using the state-of-the-art operating room robot Da Vinci, news reports say, made critics of the said design cite several aspects that need improvement. The Intuitive Surgical released an urgent medical device notification that informs health care providers of the
possible problems caused by their machine, according to the report from the CNBC. Robot technology usage in the operating rooms, being fairly new, holds so much chances for upgrades. Feasibility and safety issues of the machine need to be addressed, but other concerns may be resolved over time with the help of research, health experts say.
The Da Vinci robot is built to mirror the movements of the surgeon who will be performing the operation on the patient. The video console provided with the robot will aid the surgeon in making incisions and completing sutures. Human errors caused by hand tremors is left out because of increased dexterity in hand motion with 3D view of the surgical site. Proper hand-eye coordination that was lacking in current laparoscopic devices used in minimally invasive procedures is now incorporated in the da Vinci surgical system. It helps decrease blood loss and shorter the hospital stays of the patients.
Disadvantages have also been identified after observing several of the operations done with the surgical robot. The lack of tactile stimulation makes it hard for some surgeons to assimilate with the system. Trainings are conducted by the manufacturer of the machine but it still different when operating on actual patients. More than 10 actual operations will be performed by each surgeon who uses the surgical system before they get used to it. The price of the surgical system also makes it hard for other hospitals to acquire it. The large and bulky robot may not also fit well inside small and cramped operating rooms. The learning curb that the system is undergoing also makes the operation much longer.
The Da Vinci system was approved in the year 2000 and has been used in various kinds of procedures. Because the robot is the first of its kind, patients have become interested in it. Some patient prefer to be operated using it. Many believe that this instrument will give way to more developments that will enhance the surgical experience of patients. However, for now, manufacturers need to address the problems encountered in robotic-assisted surgeries.
URL References:
articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/17/health/la-he-robotic-surgery-20111017
nbcnews.com/health/electrical-burns-may-burst-surgical-robots-bubble-6C10321766
cnbc.com/id/100726886
biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2005_Groups/04/davinci.html