DiVinci Robot Surgery

Has anyone's DH/SO done surgery Robotically with the "DiVinci Robot"?? I recently had Kidney surgery done via the robot. . I was lucky enough to get to watch a similar procedure and it AMAZES me at what surgery is becoming with technology. Curious to see if any of your DH's do this type of surgery?

[migirl]

My DH does DaVinci's. Don't even get him started on them because he'll never stop talking about how much he hates them. He can't stand how people think they're this end-all be-all to surgical procedures, when (in his opinion) a lot of times an open procedure would be much more appropriate but people want to have the "newest" thing.

I'm glad you had a good experience w/ it, though.

[Malpka]

My DH does DaVinci's. Don't even get him started on them because he'll never stop talking about how much he hates them. He can't stand how people think they're this end-all be-all to surgical procedures, when (in his opinion) a lot of times an open procedure would be much more appropriate but people want to have the "newest" thing.

I'm glad you had a good experience w/ it, though.

Ditto.ditto.ditto.

DH has one attending who is obsessed with the robot. Turns a nice 3 hour hysterectomy into a 7 hour ordeal DH thinks there are appropriate uses for the DaVinci, but most times the shorter healing time and such is offset by the risk of the additional time under anesthesia.

Anyhow, I am defintely the wrong person to ask because I despise the robot - it is a guaranteed "no way will he be home before the kids go to bed".

[pstone]

offset by the risk of the additional time under anesthesia.

Hey, that is overblown to be honest...well...unless they are sick as a dog to start with. At least that is what I hear...(I only play a doctor)

[Sheherezade]

DH also does this at the mention of Di Vinci.

His comment is that it's a million dollar machine - for little pay off in the OR.

Hello, rising health care costs!

[pstone]

Doen't everyone (oh brother) think at least it will just get better?
I mean that guy that though he should was his hands before surgery died a disgrace in his time.

[Malpka]

offset by the risk of the additional time under anesthesia.

Hey, that is overblown to be honest...well...unless they are sick as a dog to start with. At least that is what I hear...(I only play a doctor)

Well, most all my DH's patients are pretty much sick as a dog unfortunately. Cancer is crappy that way, and a lot of his patients are quite elderly. It isn't like an extra hour or two under, but sometimes triple the typical surgery time for an open procedure. DH thinks there may be some useful applications for the technology, but for day in day out procedures it is just more expensive and time consuming. Luckily he is having to do less and less of them now that the insurance companies have caught on and now refuse to reimburse for the robot procedures.

I think it will get better, but I don't know that it will ever be efficient enough. It only takes DH and obsessed-attending a third of the time to do the surgeries on the robot that it did when they started, but it still takes a much longer time than doing it the traditional way. Patients like it because their recovery time is shorter, so maybe with a younger and healthier patient population (with work to get back to and families to care for) it makes more sense.

[Auspicious]

I saw this thread and said to my husband "Weren't you just telling me something recently about DaVinci surgeries?"
"Yes."
"What was it, again?"
"That I hate them--it mangles and fries the specimens so that they're hard to gross in and it's really hard to read the margins."

And then some story about burned seminal vesicles and a mashed-up uterus. :huh:

Wow, I had no idea that everyone was so ANTI- davinci surgeries. Interesting to learn. Being the patient of it was great- minimal scarring and quick recovery. I guess the doctor's have the rough end. Thanks for your input.