Surgeons and robots

Excerpt

The Orthopaedic Surgeon is considered a precise individual. The General Orthopaedic Surgeon is educated to have a scientific background, thinks logically and performs surgery with accuracy in a Modern World. There are highly expectations from the patients. However, the surgeon’s accuracy could be compared in the near future to robots or machines that would perform the same procedure without error and with higher precision and repeatability. Never tired. Always ready to work. Always precise. No feelings. Only results. Are those machines accurate enough? Is the liability of a robot covered by the hospital or the consultant surgeon would play a role in defining this feature? Computer-assisted navigation and robotic surgery, once considered a science-fiction movie, has evolved and spread rapidly over the last three decades. Currently, for some types of operations it is becoming the standard procedure. The aim for the surgeons using this intelligent software and mechanical arms is to gain access to previously inaccessible areas, and to reduce the risks associated with conventional surgery. The conception for the patients opting for this high-tech solution is to obtain smaller incisions and scars, and to experience faster recovery, reduced post-care discomfort and shorter hospital stay. However, there is a lot of controversy for computer-assisted navigation and robotic systems to be seen as a return of the investment for improved surgical outcomes. Additionally, surgeons must also be trained to use this equipment prior to implementation, and must undergo a learning curve to reduce operative time when using navigation and robotics. …