The ways to heal people are now endless, especially with the advancements in technology that allow us to use robotics. A major robotic system that has been introduced to the medical field, is a machine that goes by the name of the Da Vinci Surgical System. The Da Vinci is a product of the company Intuitive Surgical, it can be categorized as a tele-surgical device because it is one of few systems that is made for a human to operate it. On July 11, 2000 the FDA approved the $1.5 million robotic system for laparoscopic surgeries, making it the first robotic system to be placed in American operating rooms (Bonsor). According to Google, laparoscopic surgery can be defined as the performance of surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and several thin instruments. During the surgical procedure, small incisions of up to half an inch are made and plastic tubes called ports are placed through these incisions. The camera and the instruments are then introduced through the ports which allow access to the inside of the patient …show more content…
Intuitive’s vice president of finance stated, “The Da Vinci reduces the average 2-3% infection probability nearly to zero.” (Da Vinci) Because of the reduction of infection, the Da Vinci also reduces the length of a hospital stay by half. This is a huge difference compared to the more invasive technique. The Da Vinci has been quite successful involving prostate cancer procedures. Joe Stewart, a 61 year old man completed the 2003 Chicago Marathon a month after having his prostate cancer removed using the Da Vinci. He stated, “Surgery with the Da Vinci allowed me to resume my normal, active life without any setbacks.”