Skills are more important than equipment – surgical robots do not improve the long-term outcomes
Robots are coming into our everyday lives more and more. Surgical robots allow for a greater precision and ergonomics for doctors, but do outcomes differ depending on whether a robot or a human was operating a person? Scientists at the University of Queensland decided to find out and compared the long-term functional outcomes of the prostate cancer surgery.
Surgical robots are not meant to just improve outcomes of the surgery – they have many more advantages. However, it is not clear if it really matters for the patient in the long-term. It is also somewhat of a philosophical question, because robots and humans are about to become competitors in a workplace. This time scientists found no difference in the outcome of prostate cancer surgery that could be attributed to the use of robot or hands of the surgeon. This study took 24 months to complete, which doesn’t sound long enough to assess long term effects, but is actually a widely accepted timeframe for recovery of urinary and sexual function after prostate cancer surgery.
https://www.technology.org/2018/07/13/skills-are-more-important-than-equipment-surgical-robots-do-not-improve-the-long-term-outcomes/
