Is Robotic Surgery Our Future?

about 4 years ago

Robotic surgery is something that has been taking place for a while. Presently, it looks a lot like playing a video game.

That said, it is a field that has scientists very excited. The goal is to combine this with AI to remove human surgeons from the operating room. Advancements in sensor technology is allowing for more precision than humans can provide.

How will this affect our future?

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To start, we need to look at the present healthcare system. We need to be honest here, for the most part, healthcare is not about health but money. Thus, everything is viewed in terms of the profit and loss statement.

Arguments among the developed countries around the world center on how to pay for the healthcare. Regardless of what system is favored, it always comes down to who is footing the bill. Some believe in an insurance based system while others opt for a single payer. Either way, few want to focus upon the cost.

This is the major problem. The cost of healthcare is simply too expensive. This is only going to increase as most developed countries face aging populations. As more require the services, the costs will explode.

One of the biggest problems is that the healthcare industry is still way behind the technological curve. This might seem odd in an industry that has advanced yet it is not. Little has changed in the basics of healthcare in the last 30 years. We still approach the services in basically the same manner.

In short, the entire healthcare system is reactive. It waits until one gets sick and then he or she shows up to get treated.

Robotic surgeons could be a major breakthrough. The advantage to this is the fact that the system can learn from every procedure. While a surgeon might be able to do one or two a day, the robotic system can do hundreds across a particular country. All that data will feed into the system. Whereas a surgeon might have thousands of surgeries accumulated over decades, a robotic system could get to this level in only a few weeks.

If this is the direction, look for newer players to enter the operating room. Intuitive Surgical is the leader in the industry at the moment. However, look at the likes of IBM, JNJ, and Medtronics as companies that are rising players in this realm.

There is no doubt that medical service providers need to cut costs. They want to maximize profits yet it is going to be difficult if the prices keep going up. At some point, there is a level that is unsustainable no matter who is doing the paying.

My view is that technology is about to wage a full on attack in the healthcare industry. We are going to see companies such as Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft entering the space. This will radically alter how data is acquired and used.

Robotics is going to be part of the process.

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