Robotic Surgery - Weighing the Benefits

Greater use of computers allows for a host of advantages that cannot be replicated using only humans. Of course, we will still be at the point where trained surgeons must control the robots for some time. As with everything, of course, there are both benefits and disadvantages to be weighed.

Pain Reduction

Robotic surgery allows the medical team to make extremely small incisions. With the use of cameras and the small arms of the technology, there is no longer a need to make wide swaths when preparing for the procedure. This reduces the pain felt by the patient after the procedure and reduces the patient's recover time. With these reductions, there is a corollary reduction in recovery complications, often brought on by excessive swelling and infection.

Cost

As of now, the cost of robotic surgery is still well north of where the same procedure would be when performed in the traditional manner. The equipment is expensive, training the doctors in the methodology is expensive, and this money is passed on to the patient. As with any new technology, the costs are always going to be higher for early adopters. In a time when insurance companies are doing everything they can to deny benefits to paying customers and a time when many patients are finding themselves in bankruptcy due to expensive medical bills, the higher cost of surgical procedures may come as an unwelcome bit of news. As time and technology move forward, however, we should see the prices drop.

Access

The future is bright when it comes to robotic surgery. It may well be the light that allows doctors to perform procedures that would have been impossible before the technology came to be. Certain "inoperable" conditions could become operable due to the greater precision afforded a surgeon working with the artificial arms. Cancers that would have only been treatable through chemotherapy and radiation may be candidates for operation with these new conditions. Surgeries previously inaccessible due to a variety of factors may become possible.

It is always folly to try and predict what the future will bring. But, most professionals in science and medicine are excited about the potential that robots bring to the operating table. The possibilities are endless. In time, it is likely that these procedures will be perfected and become so routine that they will cost the same as traditional operations, while affording the patient many additional benefits.

For robotic surgery Anniston residents can start their research here: http://rmccares.net.