Risks are always associated with surgeries, even with the help of advanced robotics. Data from a study by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has revealed that the use of robots during surgery has incurred multiple deaths and injuries within a span of 14 years.
Robotic Surgeries are medical procedures that make use of the steady and accurate movements of a robotic arm controlled by a surgeon. These procedures which are generally used in minimally invasive surgeries are touted to create more precise incisions that lessen the chances of infection and allow patients to recover faster and with smaller scars.
But a study by Jai Raman of the Rush University Medical Center of Chicago has uncovered a slew of deaths, accidents and malfunctions related to robotic surgery.
The study analyzed the reports from over 1.7million robotic procedures carried out between January 2000 and December 2013. All-in-all there was 144 fatalities, over 1,000 injuries and over 8,000 device malfunctions reported by the study.
The increased use of robotic systems during surgeries will only result in higher casualty rates if newer safety measures are not introduced, the researchers added.
The data was gathered through the US FDA which receives reports on robotic procedures from the firsthand accounts of hospitals, patients and manufacturers.
Meanwhile, some doctors are questioning the benefits gained from the use of robotic surgery procedures, with a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association claiming that the cost of robotic surgeries are higher but the results are not necessarily better.