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Madisen Johnson

Biology 1010/1015

Research Project

March 16, 2017

Medical Robots

Medical robots has been an expanding field in medical technology since 2000. As more

technological advances have been made, more hospitals are looking towards the use of medical

robots in order to compete for patients and distinguish themselves among other hospitals.

Medical robots are machines that are used to assist doctors perform surgery. They have been

known to reduce complications, be less invasive and more user friendly for the surgeon.

However, some argue that medical robots are not as effective as other forms of surgery and

increase the overall cost of the procedure.

Arguing for the use of medical robots, many surgeons advocate that they are very

practical for some procedures and reduce their exhaustion. Being able to view the surgical field

on large screens increase their ability to perform at a higher quality for longer periods of time.

They also say that there is less recovery time, less post-operative medication and less

complications that are required after a surgery from a medical robot versus other methods. They

argue that the cost is initially more but balances own when considering that the patient will have

less post-operative needs. They argue that they are benefiting the medical field and the patients

in need of surgery.

Critics of these robots argue that they do not have all the advantages that they have

advertised. They say that medical robots have equal if not more complications and the costs are

much higher than other methods of surgery. They also state the this new form of surgery is
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being used by hospitals in order to create the illusion of a cutting edge medical facility in order to

draw patients to their hospital. Many are also weary of the fact that the surgeon is in another

room and may not be as responsive to an emergency situation with the patient. The large

companies who produce these machines argue that the statistics used may not be accurate.

My opinion is that these robots can be beneficial in the medical field but are not

beneficial for every patients needs. The surgeon should use this technology in addition to other

techniques in order to find the best option for the patient. It seems as if medical robots will

continue to advance and surgeons will receive more training in operating them. I think we

should continue to advance in this field because it may lead to extraordinary medical advances.

I also advise that we use these with some caution to ensure that the patient is given the best

surgical experience as possible.

To conclude, there are pros and cons in all surgical techniques and procedures. As for

medical robots, there are cons but future advancement may allow for better surgeries with the

use of these robots. We should continue to expand this field and use caution in order to help the

patient as much as possible.

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