Introduction
There was only 1,000 robotic surgeries being performed worldwide in 2000. That number rose to 360,000 in 2011, and 450,000 in 2012 (Pinkerton). In this day and age in society we are constantly looking for the newest and most productive technology to get tasks done faster. The introduction of surgical robots will revolutionize surgeries from the current way of treatment and provide benefits for both the surgeons and patients. Robotic machines in surgery has been the talk for decades, and it’s finally here and it is slowly starting to consume the industry.
Benefits for Patients
The introduction of surgical robots gives patients benefits that traditional surgeries cannot. With the use of …show more content…
Martin Makary, a pancreatic surgeon at Johns Hopkins, believes the technology is safe and useful for certain surgeries, but he says, its “spreading too fast.” We live in a “culture that marvels at new technology,” and have a habit of embracing innovations “without a lot of rigorous, standard evaluation,” (Pinkerton). There is a “race” by hospitals to get these machines so that they can attract new patients and gain a competitive edge. Hospitals want to be a part of this growing research even though the costs are high (The Pros and Cons of Robotic Surgery). Robotic surgery is new, and is rapidly growing as more research is being done, and more developments are being made. In the United States only a single company produces robotic surgical equipment. The equipment costs between $1.5 and $2 million dollars and constant maintenance repair costs are high. Because robotic surgery is new, hospitals who seek out this machinery must budget and plan accordingly to repair the machines (The Pros and Cons of Robotic Surgery). Patients are likely to see more advantages of robotic surgery as it becomes more prominent as a form of treatment. The training offered to healthcare professionals associated with robotic surgery differ in each hospital due to budget, space, and time. Dr. Markary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon says that there’s no magic number of supervised procedures that must be performed before a surgeon has been declared ready; a sign-off usually comes from a more experienced surgeon once they are satisfied with their colleagues skill set (Pinkerton). Hospitals may require their surgeons to get the training needed to use the new technology, but in the end it is worth it because the new technology attracts new patients, and therefore bringing in more income to their