Injuries and deaths attributed to da Vinci surgical robot procedures are reported late or not at all, according to a Journal for Healthcare Quality study. The da Vinci Lawsuit Information Center, which provides information on da Vinci robot lawsuits and side effects, notes that the study is part of a growing body of evidence showing the alleged risks associated with the surgical robot system.The study focused on 12 years of data from use of the Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci surgical robot involving 245 reported incidents, which included 71 deaths and 174 injuries, according to an article in Med City News.*
The da Vinci robotic surgical system uses four robotic arms with precision surgical tools and cameras that are supposed to allow a surgeon to perform procedures such as hysterectomies less invasively than a traditional method, such as a surgeon’s own hands.
The medical device was found to cause potentially dangerous side effects, such as internal burns, nerve damage and lacerations, according to a Sept. 9 New York Times report.**
The da Vinci Lawsuit Information Center encourages those who believe that their da Vinci robotic surgery has harmed them to visit its website for a free confidential case evaluation.
*medcitynews.com/2013/11/deaths-problems-robotic-surgical-systems-reported-fda
**well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/new-concerns-on-robotic-surgeries/?_r=0
Intuitive Surgical asserts that it is fully committed to superior training opportunities for surgeons and surgical teams in the use of its products, but notes that it does not participate in determining when a surgeon is adequately prepared to operate using the da Vinci Surgical System.