More Patients Added to Da Vinci Robot Injury Lawsuit

Some patients are reporting terrible outcomes of surgeries where the da Vinci robot was used. 

For months and months the da Vinci surgical robot was much lauded by surgeons and scientists. The robotic device, which helps surgeons perform complicated procedures, costs about $1.5 million per unit. Many doctors were excited to try out the device and there is no doubt that it is an impressive machine. It has more than 10,000 components. It is estimated that about 400,000 procedures that used da Vinci robots were performed in 2012. But now patients are reporting terrible outcomes of surgeries where the da Vinci robot was used.

Hysterectomies are procedures where the da Vinci robot is commonly being used. One woman’s doctor was excited to get the chance to use the device during her hysterectomy. She underwent the procedure in 2009. The surgery was a success and the woman says she felt fine following the procedure. But five weeks after undergoing the surgery, she began experiencing very serious complications. During the surgery her doctor had used the da Vinci robot to do a seal stitch, which was holding her cervix and uterus in place. But weeks after surgery the seal stitch failed and the patient said she felt something pop inside her. While sitting on the toilet, the woman looked down and actually saw her intestines were protruding from her body.  She had to undergo immediate emergency surgery to fix the problem.

Seven other patients experienced complications following their da Vinci assisted procedures as well and this woman is joining them in filing a da Vinci lawsuit. These seven are the only ones to have file a lawsuit, 89 patient deaths have been linked to the da Vinci device. It should be noted that there have been many more successful da Vinci procedures than failures, but there have been enough complications that the US Food and Drug Administration is taking notice.

While many doctors were excited to get a chance to use the device, others have been reticent. And apparently with good reason. Dr. Martin Makary, senior surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute in Baltimore,  gave an interview to CNN last month stating, “The Achilles heel of robotic surgery is that the robot cannot feel the tissue, so the surgeon can make an inadvertent injury to a major structure, and that is a unique problem with this kind of surgery.” He went on to say that he is not entirely “anti-robot,” but that he does believe there are no real benefits to the patient in procedures where  robot is used. In this case better technology does not necessarily mean improved patient healthcare. Makary believes that just because a robot can be used does not mean it should be used. Makary’s opinion is backed up by a study that showed robotic surgeries did not actually reduce complication rates in hysterectomies compared with traditional hysterectomies. What’s more, people pay about $2,189 for a robot assisted surgery, which is a lot to pay if there is no discernible benefit.

Once a hospital purchases the very expensive machine, surgeons allegedy feel pressured to make use of it.

St. Louis Da Vinci Robot Lawyer

If you or someone you love has been been injured or experienced complications as the result of a robot-assisted surgery, contact a St. Louis Medical Malpractice Attorney at the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm to schedule a free consultation by calling (314) 588-7200 or by filling out our online contact form.

photo credit: Army Medicine