Robots surgeons are they the surgeons for a future ？

April 08, 2019

The surgeon is now a hyper-technological profession, to the point that it can end up controlling the articulated arm of a robot performing the actions in its place. Robots surgeons ,is this a progress in smart health?

This is undoubtedly the great trend of the operating room of tomorrow. Robots to replace human beings. More precise, less emotional and therefore less likely to make mistakes, they already have great benefits. However, not everything is still perfect with robot surgeons.

New technologies are booming and all areas of daily life are affected. In this context, the operating theaters are about to undergo big changes, with the appearance of the surgeon robots.

Operative techniques are constantly evolving and in recent years have been marked by the miniaturization of surgical instruments, necessary in particular for the advent of laparoscopy. Currently, another significant development is the automation and appearance of surgical robots. Obviously, these robots are not intended to replace the surgical team: surgeons, nurses or anesthetists. The robot does not act alone, the surgeon directs the arms of the robot, which remains under the permanent control of the surgeon.

The arrival of surgeon robots marks a breakthrough for operating theaters, as they have several advantages (reduced risk of human error, access to difficult areas of the human body, three-dimensional vision, etc.), but The knowledge and experience of the surgeon remain irreplaceable. The surgeon robot is there to help the surgical team.

Robots surgeons: the alloy of the man and the machine

Who are the best ones to talk about it? The first concerned without a doubt. Difficult (for now) to make speak robots that burst into the operating room. So it’s the surgeons who have the floor in an exciting article written by our colleagues from the Tribune. The first element that emerges seems to be that of interdependence. Humans and machines in the operating room complement each other more than they oppose. These are often surgeons who control the robots.

“The robot does not perform the surgeon’s actions in its place. It is the surgeon who directs the arms of the robot. Two fingers of each of his hands manipulate sticks that control the movements of the robot’s arms. The idea? Remove the human error, often associated with tremors, a small gesture of stress or a jump of concentration. Medical control remains essential, especially through haptic feedback.

Perfect situations for robots

However, difficult not to see little by little a technological evolution that can make in some configurations the human element obsolete.

The most used surgical robot today, the Da Vinci, is absolutely not autonomous or automatic. It must always be directed by the surgeon’s hand. He participates in many abdominal surgery procedures.

For now, only certain tasks are automated. One can think of the descent of the brain stimulation electrode that is used for Parkinson’s treatment.

Like the cashiers in your supermarket or even journalists, are surgeons brought to be gradually replaced by robots? For now, the march to pass seems still dizzying. While the tangible benefits are obvious in some cases, the advantage over a human being still seems particularly tenuous.

If surgeon robots allow surgeons to perform hitherto impossible gestures, nothing can replace the experience of the surgical team. To be operated only by a robot in the years to come seems totally inconceivable. Robot-assisted surgery could nevertheless see significant growth, particularly thanks to the development of virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

In the longer term, the difference will be made through the use of virtual reality for a thorough knowledge of the human body but also artificial intelligence. It is the latter that could allow a real technological break. In the meantime, for your health, it will be necessary to continue to go to see a classical doctor …