A 2019 JAMA viewpoint article, Is It Time for Safeguards in the Adoption of Robotic Surgery?, explores the risks associated with the increasing, uncontrolled, and indiscriminate use of robotic-assisted surgery. We could not agree more.
For more than two decades, ECRI Institute has been emphasizing these risks based on our evidence assessments and patient safety work. We do not dispute the many potential benefits of minimally invasive robotic surgery procedures. However, we are solidly grounded in the “show me the evidence” camp. Our concerns fall squarely in three areas: patient safety and surgeon experience, evidence, and cost.