Slashdot Mirror
Robotic Surgery Complications Going Underreported
First time accepted submitter neapolitan writes "PBS has a report on the difficulties of tracking the complications arising from surgical robotic systems, particularly the Da Vinci robotic surgery apparatus. The original study (paywall) notes that there is a large lag in filing reports, and some are not reported at all. It is difficult to assess the continued outcomes and safety without accurate reporting data."
Its called lawsuits, that's why the are not reporting it. Slashdot should post the same article over how many human surgeries that end in complications go unreported those types of surgeries are by far would exceed the lack of proper reporting on robotic complications, which is a huge huge problem of the "health care system/medical industry".
Its called lawsuits, that's why the are not reporting it. Slashdot should post the same article over how many human surgeries that end in complications go unreported those types of surgeries are by far would exceed the lack of proper reporting on robotic complications, which is a huge huge problem of the "health care system/medical industry".
Let's not try and minimize the complications from just surgeries. We're told half-truths with damn near every drug we try too. We all know that within a group of 100 people trying a new drug, there will be some percentage of that group where death is an acceptable side effect.
Then again, when they're (semi) truthful about a new drug, and spend the last 27 seconds of a commercial rattling off the side effect list, doubt I'm going to be any less worried about taking the new drug, wondering how many billions in profits they're trying to protect just long enough to avoid the major lawsuits and change the drug name.
Its a risk not to report it. If things are working as they should a manufacturer who does NOT report a problem and gets caught should loose his license to produce any medical grade works. For a single fault.
There are lives at stake. The least they should do is give info for accurate statistics.
Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
It's even worse than that!
All the primary sources which would let us know about this are behind paywalls, so even when you post them on slashdot, nobody can read the freaking things, so it doesn't matter...
Has anybody here ever had users who were willing to file and capable of filing proper bug reports or trouble tickets?
There are eight known cases of under or non-reporting as evidenced by PACER and LexisNexis, i.e. cases that led to legal complaints. The number could be a little bit larger, although probably not by much.
I find it interesting that the Da Vinci name is still on the market; it carries a lot of negative connotations from early tests where it was used in fully-automated knee and hip surgery (although I think the current robot is different from the infamous one.) It tended to cause a great deal more damage than it fixed, as while it was perfectly good at fixing bone, there was no consideration whatsoever for soft tissue and, IIRC, it just cut its way in. It sounds like something out of Terminator when you hear it described in detail.
Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!