Surgical robots are emerging. They can be used for multiple purposes within the healthcare sector but are currently mainly focused on supporting medics with their tasks. Undergoing surgery by just a robot doctor still seems like something from a science fiction movie but it might happen sooner than we think.
The current situation
One of the most popular surgical robots that comes closest to independently performing surgery at the moment, was already developed 20 years ago. The da Vinci Surgical System executes medical procedures but is still being controlled by a surgeon via a console. The system provides the surgeon with a 3D view of the surgical area and moves like a human arm but it can make more movements from different angles than an actual human. The da Vinci robot is used for approximately 200.000 surgeries worldwide per year and it doesn’t stop here (Intuitive surgical, 2020).
Advantages
More and more surgical robots are being developed because they provide a lot of advantages. They work more precisely, efficiently and stable than human doctors which results in less mistakes, improved patient care and a shorter recovery time (Williams, 2018). The overall efficiency of a hospital will increase as well due to the ability of surgical robots to work continually without needing a break and they can guide or replace doctors during difficult surgeries that they normally would not have been able to perform themselves (Camarillo, Krummel, Salisbury, 2004).
Disadvantages
Nonetheless, the use of surgical robots also has its downsides. The costs of purchase and maintenance are extremely high (Kaul, 2018). Besides that, the robots, and the surgeons that control them, do not feel any resistance. It would therefore be possible for the surgical robot to accidentally cut through fatal body parts which could have injuries or even death as a consequence. The staff of the operating room and the surgeon that controls the robot need to be trained extensively to prevent these kinds of mistakes (Camarillo, Krummel, Salisbury, 2004). Lastly, most patients prefer a human to treat them since human doctors take into account the emotions and concerns of a patient (Mohammed, 2017).
Future prospect
Even though the current surgical robots are not able to operate indepently and therefore fully replace human doctors yet, many researchers are confident that they will in the future. A close collaboration with doctors, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning will contribute to improved, more cost-effective, smaller and smarter surgical robots. The arrival of these new, advanced robots will transform the whole healthcare industry. The main function of doctors will change from being operative to having an advisory position (Camarillo, Krummel, Salisbury, 2004; Kaul, 2018; Williams, 2018). Although a lot of development and research is still needed and the use of surgical robots is accompanied by some risks and ethical barriers, I do see the potential. Surgical robots will, in the long run, save costs, increase the overall experience of the patients and they are able to help more people in a more effective way. I do not think that we should fully replace human doctors anywhere in the near future but being assisted by surgical robots would, in my opinion, lead to a better, more effective and safer healthcare system.
References
Camarillo, D. B., Krummel, T. M., & Salisbury Jr, J. K. (2004). Robotic technology in surgery: past, present, and future. The American Journal of Surgery, 188(4), 2-15.
Camarillo, Krummel, Salisbury, 2004
Intuitive Surgical. (2020). About da Vinci systems. Retrieved from: https://www.davincisurgery.com/da-vinci-systems/about-da-vinci-systems
Kaul, N. (2018, April). Could a robot replace your doctor in the near future? Retrieved from:
Mohammed, F. (2017, March). Will robots replace human doctors. Retrieved from: https://daily.jstor.org/will-robots-replace-human-doctors
Williams, A. (2018, November). Medical robotics has an ‘incredibly exciting’ future, predict experts. Retrieved from:
Medical Robotics Has an ‘Incredibly Exciting’ Future, Predict Experts
Hi Anouk, as soon as I read the title of your post, I became interested. I find it very surprising that the first robot was already used twenty years ago. I agree with you on the advantages. I believe that the efficiency will increase, resulting in less mistakes and more recoveries. You state that patients would prefer a human to treat them since human doctors take emotions into account. I understand what you mean and totally agree with you on this point. However, AI will help create fully functional robots which leads to more empathetic responses in the future. Furthermore, AI can recognize humans’ reasoning and emotions, contextualize and generalize information and apply this knowledge. This could mean that we no longer need human doctors in the distant future. The emergence of surgical robots will cause stir in the industry. Doctors must to be educated in a different way. I think we should ask the question whether some of these changes in the curriculum of med students should take place now, since the technology develops faster.
I totally agree with you on the statement that surgical robots would lead to a better, more effective and safer healthcare system.
I am very excited and curious about the further technological development of surgical robots.
Very interisting blogpost anouk, I am very intrigued by the advancing technology in the healthcare industry as well. Surgical robots are the future in my opinion as well, perhaps even the near future. Regarding the disadvantages, I see many similarities with the disadvantages of self-driving cars. Full automation is very difficult for modern society to accept, even with the proven lower error rate. The current use of the da vinci robot is a smart compromise that still provides the advatages of automation combined with the sense of security that having a human doctor provides. I do believe ,however, that these robots could never fully be integrated into medical society. Your reasoning concerning the human need of being treated by actual doctors. That being said, a lot of forms of integration have seemed unrealistic until now. These robots can have incredible advantages for medical care. When operating on patients with infectious diseases or even when using radiation, there is no longer need for protective gear. These robots will fundamentally change the industry, will there be a smaller demand for surgeons as a result and will this spillover even reach medical schools? There are also new players, engineers and tech companies already play a major role in the medical industry. Perhaps surgeons will assume the role of a consultant. The possibilities are endless, but I am very excited to see where this will go.