Robot in the OR

Technology is great! Progress is good! And misusing it is inevitable! We've been doing robotic surgery here for some time. And my feelings are mixed. Apparently urologists have enough data to support robot use in surgery, as for other surgical sub specialties I don't know. In some way it's a marketing tool, and some surgeons are pushed to start doing it, before all the data is in. I just don't see how surgery that usually is done in 2 hours now is stretched out to 8-10 hours is good for you. From anesthesia prospective it cannot be good - surgery over 3 hours may increase patients' chances for the heart attack in immediate postsurgical period. So, in my humble opinion, unless there is a STRONG evidence that robot gives us better outcomes, we should be more careful to use it. Of course, these surgeons will get better - our urologists now take the same time to do a robotic prostatectomy (removal of prostate) as they used to do it the old fashion open way. But today I have an 85 years old lady scheduled for a robotic GYNE surgery by the surgeon who has not done as many, and I just wander how beneficial it will be for her to stay under anesthesia 2-4 times longer.