The case of robot-assisted surgery
August 22nd, 2010 Posted in prostatectomyTthis week’s issue of New England Journal of Medicine provides an article that addresses the rapid increase in the number of robot-assisted surgical procedures carried out in the US between 2005 and 2008.
The article focuses in particular in the significant increase in the annual number of radical prostatectomies that appear to have occurred because of the introduction of the da Vinci technology, and the increased costs of these surgeries.
Study autors conclude that the introduction of the robotic technology may have increased both the cost per surgical procedure and the volume of cases treated surgically. However, the evidence suggests that despite the short-term benefits, robotic technology may not have improved patient outcomes or quality of life in the long run.