Robotic Surgery And Medical Malpractice–Is It Really A Thing?!

Robotic surgery has been becoming more commonplace and there is a threat of malpractice due to these types of surgeries. Robotic surgery is where a doctor will control a surgical machine or device. A very small incision is created, usually around the area that is to be operated on. The machine will then enter the body through the opening, expand and then function based on the doctor’s commands.

The robot’s arms are controlled by the surgeon and a three-dimensional image of the patient’s body is created by a camera, allowing the doctor to see certain items within the body. Tools are then used to remove items from the body or shift different organs and tissues.

The use of robotic surgery can reduce a patient’s recovery time, prevents the loss of more blood, and can even lessen the risk of infection near the surgical site.

However, while robotic surgery has many benefits, it can be very dangerous if used in the wrong hands. Surgeons may not understand the intricacies of the machine or may not know how to operate it properly. A surgeon may not even identify the correct procedures to use when caring for the patient’s body. Some surgeons shouldn’t even be performing robotic surgeries because they don’t have enough experience.

Unfortunately there tends to be the assumption that a surgeon is already competent to perform robotic surgeries after having very little practice using the new technology. At this time there is no national protocol or credentialing standards for training surgeons to use robotic surgical systems.

In some cases, surgeries have been performed by doctors in training without the patient’s knowledge. Others have suffered permanent injury after having a robotic surgery where a surgeon with very little experience has performed the surgery.