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Robotic Surgery Progress: Is Resistance Futile ?
I read this article “Robotic surgery progress: Is resistance futile?” recently published in the ACS surgery news. It is nice to clear the myth that robotic surgery is expensive and embrace the fact that what we are doing now may not be cost effective now and is that we believe that the next few generations of this technology will become the state of the art and will become highly cost effective. Although there are numerous articles to show that robotic surgery is cost effective “now”, there is still a consensus, especially with HMO insurance companies that this technology is expensive. Dr. Henry Pitt from Temple University Health System compares robotic surgery to that of computers and the application of Moore’s Law, by which when technology advances rapidly the price eventually comes down. I would like to also compare this with modern day telephones and its increased cost only to give you much better quality and variety of services. Robotic surgery has increased from 20,000 procedures in 2009 to close to 35,000 procedures in 2012 with a vast increase in general surgical procedures.
In some ways robotic assisted surgery is like laparoscopic surgery when the world was skeptical about this new form of surgery and its additional cost only a few years later to become a ‘standard of care’ for many procedures. Currently, robotic surgery certainly is in the learning curve of many surgeons and it remains to be seen what data will emerge in the years to come about it usefulness. I am positive about the data.
100 Robotic Cases.
Recently completed 100 successful robotic general surgical cases. Thanks to the wonderful OR team and my office personnel that made it happen. I have had a good case mix of foregut surgeries, gallbladder removals, hernias repairs and colon resections. I must admit that the newer technology has made it possible for the recent milestone. It is amazing what is being done in the world of surgery using the robot. I met a thoracic surgeon from Berlin, Germany who has performed more than 500 thymectomies alone using the robot ! Compared to that I feel like an infant in the world of advanced technology. Have a long way to go ….
Misunderstanding the Doctor !
I laughed a lot when I saw this cartoon. Happens every day, sometimes for a more frolic reason ! Makes being a doctor worth these funny times. Reminds me of another cartoon quip about a female patient in her 90’s who goes to her primary care for a general check. The doctor, as usual puts his stethoscope on her chest and says “Big Breaths”… for which she replied .. “yes, they used to be, once upon a time”!
2015 ACS Clinical Congress, Chicago.
Attended 2 days. Went to a variety of sessions. Unique one was titled “Should that surgeon be operating”. Learnt a lot in that session. Since I am the chief of surgery for another year, it may come in handy ! Also liked the session on “How I control the bleeding”?. Some good video presentations on control of liver bleeding, retrohepatic venacava and also about REBOA (Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta). A nice endovascular technique to occlude the aorta above the bleeding source, in an attempt to gain some time with catching up with patient resuscitation and control of hemorrhage. I liked the discussion on Acute Care Surgery in the elderly patient. Some good discussions there. The video presentations were not that great. Didn’t see much in the way of presentations in robotic surgery. Probably most of them were taken to the CRSA. Overall a good 2 days at the ACS meeting.
7th Annual CRSA, Chicago, IL.
This is the first time I had the chance to attend the Clinical Robotics Surgical Association meeting. I was amazed as to the amount of advancement there has been in the application of robotics in the surgical field. I must confess that I didn’t know that there have been kidney transplants performed to date and to apply this technology to patients that have been turned down a transplant because of their high body mass index. The results are amazing so far.