Da Vinci Robotic Devices: Injuries & Lawsuits
Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...
Written by Jeffrey Johnson
Managing Editor & Insurance Lawyer
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Da Vinci Robotic Devices Designed to Improve Precision
The da Vinci robotic device is a computer-operated device designed to provide a minimally invasive approach to surgery. The device is controlled by a surgeon through a special surgeon's console. The console allows the surgeon to control robotic arms and perform surgeries presumably with more precision and less error. Thanks to aggressive marketing, the use of the da Vinci has increased from 359,000 surgeries in 2011 to 523,000 surgeries in 2013. While the device has been successfully used in many surgeries, it is not without its controversy and problems.
Some Surgeons Having Difficulty Operating Da Vinci
While the da Vinci is designed to improve accuracy and make certain surgeries less invasive, some surgeons, particularly surgeons relatively new to the device, are finding it difficult to master. A recent survey conducted by the Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health (FDA) found some disturbing evidence. Surgeons were asked to state any problems with using the da Vinci device. Many confided that they did not feel comfortable using the robot until upwards of 60 surgeries (on average) had been performed. Since January 2013, the FDA is placing additional scrutiny on both the makers and users of this device. In March of 2013, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended a restriction on the types of surgeries that this device should be used for, expressing concern that it wasn't as beneficial to patients as first thought.
Have you undergone a procedure using the da Vinci system and have experience and suffered adverse results? You should contact an attorney to discuss the potential for litigation and your chances of compensation.