The da Vinci surgical robot is so precise, promotional videos show it carefully peeling a grape.
It’s so popular that most so-called “keyhole” hysterectomies are done using the machine, and it’s used in four out of five operations to remove the prostate, according to the non-profit ECRI Institute.
But a series of lawsuits threaten to burst da Vinci’s high-flying bubble, claiming that a very low-tech problem wear and tear can spoil the benefits of using a remote, automated system, injuring patients and forcing the invasive surgery they were trying to avoid.
It all boils down to microscopic cracks in the protective covers insulating some of the tools that da Vinci uses, which could possibly allow electricity to leak out and burn patients. What’s at issue is whether anyone’s actually been burned and whether it’s the company’s fault.
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Is robot surgery safe? (Bayoubuzz (subscription))
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