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Managing Liability Risks from Robotic Surgery

By Kevin Quinley
September 26, 2012

The movie “Star Wars” and its progeny featured futuristic robots, like R2D2 and C3PO, whose almost human characteristics captured the imaginations of moviegoers worldwide. Fast-forward to 2012, where robotic technologies have evolved ' not so much in the image of Star Wars characters, but in ways equally as fantastic. A good deal of manufacturing is accomplished by robots. Generals now increasingly fight wars through robotic drones that fly overhead or crawl on the ground to neutralize IEDs. And robotic technology has entered the surgical suite.

Some herald the use of robots in the healthcare field as a logical next chapter in the unfolding story of medical innovation. Others decry the trend, fearing that it positions one more barrier between the physician/healer and suffering patients. Despite concerns, though, the robotic surgery genie is out of the proverbial bottle. In the summer of 2012, Intuitive Surgical, a manufacturer of medical robotics, reported that use of robotic surgery systems had surged by 26% in the second quarter of the year.

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