The Minneapolis - St. Paul Star Tribune had an article titled: Is a Robot’s Arm Better Than a Surgeon’s Hand? (http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/84307407.html?page=1&c=y) It delves into the emergence of robotic arms, specifically in prostate surgery, and pinpoints both the positives and negatives that come with this type of technology in operating rooms. Since more and more people have become aware of this option, surgeons who don’t perform with robots have been losing patients to those who do. The main take away point is that robotic surgery is indeed much more expensive, but there is no evidence indicating that results or outcomes are improved when compared to traditional surgery procedures.
Dear Editor,
It’s not surprising to hear about robots in operating rooms, since technology has been advancing extensively to no avail. I recall watching futuristic movies as a child and being afraid of having our world turn into a place where machines dominated life. Reality is now transforming into just what I had been weary of.
Don’t get me wrong, it is wonderful that we have been able to construct such advanced technologies, but I have to speculate if mechanization is the answer to every single discipline. Some tasks just seem too intricate and delicate to mimic. The precision, attention, and care that a doctor’s hand provides is a perfect example.
Another major concern I would like to address is what this means for our doctors and those who are studying medicine. If robots are performing procedures, the only direct contact left for doctors is between them and the machine they are operating. In a field where patients are looking to be healed and cured, a robot just doesn’t quite administer the same holistic, therapeutic relationship that needs to be established between patient and doctor for optimum medical care.
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I really appreciate the way you went with the letter to the editor on this article. Personally, I think I would be very weary to have a robot operating on me. There is no doubt that a robot surgeon is much less personal than an actual human.
ReplyDeleteI think this could also result in a major economic issue. If we have some of the smartest people on the planet being replaced by robots, how will that impact the economy, where will these surgeons go now? If these robots cost more than surgeons and we're putting surgeons out of jobs, how does that help our weak economy?
Cecily, I read the same article in Sunday's Minneapolis Strib, and I share the article's and your criticism of the lack of data on the benefits of the robotic approach to prostate surgery. It's a fact of our modern medical care system that doctors spend less and less face-to-face time with their patients. However, well-conceived and used automated surgical methods ultimately can benefit society. A case in point is Robin's cataract implant surgery. Hopefully, doctor's will spend sufficient time upfront with patients lay out the potential risks and benefits of any proposed procedure.
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