Goose wrote:

Our local hospital has the Da Vinci robotic system which they use for prostate cancer surgery.
It looks like, from their website that Wellspan has one as well.

BOTH Wellspan as well as Memorial use the Da Vinci systems in York. These represent the first step in automating surgery. The STAR systems documented in the article represents the next step when the robot is autonomous of the surgeon (although they can still intervene). As the article notes there becomes an ethical issue when robots are involved and a death occurs even if a human surgeon might have done the same thing. It will be interesting to see just how far this whole thing goes. The ethical dilemma may trump the reality of the robot actually being most times a better choice. 


 

Rongone wrote:

I don't know whether I'd opt for robotic surgery with the Da Vinci system at this time. Here is reason for caution:

http://surgicalwatch.com/davinci-robot/surgery-problems/

The Da Vinci machine is just a tool that the surgeon uses. It (theoretically) allows access to a more precise area than what a surgeon can generally get to (at least without significant cutting to get there if even possible). That said, ALL surgeries at least to this point depends on the skills of the surgeon himself or herself and their past experience. It in essence replaces the surgeons hands, BUT the surgeon is still guiding it and making decisions upon what he is seeing via the screen. As noted, there are risks with all surgeries, even those that are considered minor.