New Surgery Robot under Scrutiny by FDA

 Posted on April 12, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

A new trend in operating rooms across the United States and the world is a robot named Da Vinci. This expensive multi-armed machine was approved by the FDA nearly four years ago to assist with highly dangerous surgeries like prostate removal, heart valve replacement and the transplantation of organs. In fact, nearly 400,000 surgeries have been performed with da Vinci across the United States, which is three times the number of robot assisted surgeries four years ago.

The robotic system is controlled by a surgeon who sits at a computer screen away from the patient. Advocates of using these robots have claimed that it removes the human element of shaky hands and also decreases recovery time for surgeries with large incisions.

But now, there has been a plethora of problems being reported about the da Vinci robot. Problems include times when a robotic hand wouldn't let go of a person's tissue during a surgery, or another incident when an arm of da Vinci repeatedly slapped a patient in the face. There have also been deaths that have happened during surgeries.

The increase of these types of events has spurred the FDA to conduct a review of this surgical robot. The FDA began surveying surgeons who use the da Vinci to get an idea of how dangerous this robotic system really is. They will also cross reference the reports they have received to see if it is more or less dangerous than normal surgery. If you have been hurt during a surgery due to the malfunction of a robotic system or the negligence of a surgeon, you may be eligible for compensation. To being discussing your case, please contact an experienced defective medical attorney in Chicago who will assist you in recovery from any pain and suffering you have experienced.