da Vinci Assists Human Surgeons
Surgeons in Ilinois seem to have the upper edge when it comes to using robotics in medicine. This could be because they now have a $2 million training center, at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, and the "da Vinci," a $1.5 million robot that is used for minimally invasive surgery. About 85,000 robot-assisted surgeries were performed last year nationwide.
Dr. Enrico Benedetti, UIC's head of surgery, says "Until we train the next generation of surgeons to do this, we cannot meet the demand. At the end of the day, it's just a better way to do surgery."
They say the plusses are less blood loss and post-surgical complications, and a shorter recovery period. Most of those procedures are prostate removal, although Benedetti looks forward to the day when they can use da Vinci for heart-bypass, lung, stomach, and chest surgery.
Via Chicago Sun Times
Read More in: Robot Science/Medicine
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Posted by Sheila Franklin at June 25, 2008 3:40 PM
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