GinnyAA

Robots in the Operating Room



Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006

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Not long ago I read an article documenting how, in the future, 250 pound robots will replace doctors in the operating room. My initial response: “No way! That's just not normal." But I quickly followed that response by allowing my limited intellect to begin sifting through the problems encountered and the problems solved.

I re-read the article and the words “robotic arm" and “computer" danced in front of my eyes; then the word “electricity" generated a powerful image in my head.

Those images propelled me toward the obvious “what ifs." What if a lightening strike severs the main power source and also burns down the backup generator? What if the computer takes on the personality of my computer and “crashes" at will or “hangs" in mid-incision? What if someone forgets to use WD-40 on the robotic arm and it “freezes" in the middle of the procedure—that scene became too gruesome to dwell on. I immediately switched gears and started thinking of all the problems it could solve.

The surgeon could cut his/her malpractice insurance dramatically. Doctors could omit long hours in the operating room. Jealousy and backbiting among the staff would cease. There would be no more second-guessing as to the proper procedure to follow because some clever programmer will have all that covered.

After running all the pros and cons through my inborn computer—that light feathery thing nestled between my ears—I reached a logical and reasonable conclusion—this is not natural!

As the recipient of a hip prosthesis, I can vehemently say I would not have allowed a robotic arm doing my surgery. The concept is completely foreign to me and the very idea produces untold terror. I needed confidence and trust, not doubt and fear. In years to come I'm sure I will have no choice because the doctor will have lost (or never gained) the ability to hollow out the thigh bone, insert a rod covered with “super glue" or some other supremely sticky substance, place the ball and socket at the top, and take special care using his best hemstitch to close the wound. In learning the intricacies of computer technology I’m sure some things must be sacrificed, such as the caring doctor's “hands on training."

I can picture the future now—I check into a hospital for surgery (a computer will handle that); I get prepped by a robotic nurse; an assembly line conveyance belt will whisk me into the operating room; a computerized automaton administers the anesthesia; the door swings open and two “robodocs" enter the arena—then, as I slip quietly into oblivion, both of the "docs" short circuit.

I have no doubt the medical world of tomorrow will be one filled with robotic arms, computerized hospitals and scientific breakthroughs in electronic technology that will boggle the mind. My question: “Will that world have a heart, a soul, an undaunted spirit to achieve the ultimate goal of contentment and serenity?" I think not.

All of our labor saving devices have created a nation of bored citizens; only a few individuals have the capability to create these devices while the rest of us watch and wait. To me the evidence of boredom comes from the subject matter of today's top news stories—unemployment, crime, kids with no place to go, promiscuity, people just “hanging out," and many more too numerous to mention.

Just in case I haven’t alluded to it before—“robodocs" in the operating room just aren’t natural!

© 2006. Ginny Anne Averett. All rights reserved.

Ginny Anne Averett is the author of this article. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and has a wide variety of interests. She continually finds inspiration from her surroundings. Her topics include historical fiction, folklore, travel, personal experience, and humor.

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