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Writer's pictureDr V

Robotic Surgery - The Future is Now...


Robotics and AI are becoming more and more a part of human life with every day and passing year. In orthopedics, robotics has taken our industry by storm over the last few years with all the major device manufacturers scrambling to put out the latest and greatest new surgical robot. These robots are designed to help make the surgery more reliable by allowing the surgeon to place the implanted prostheses with more precision and accuracy. While these awesome pieces of technology can help the surgeon accomplish the surgery with a possibly more predictable result, this does come at a cost of both time in the operating room under anesthesia as well as cost to the system and sometimes the patient.


While I am a huge believer that robotics and AI will ultimately take the place of humans in surgery (I know this sounds far-fetched now, but check back with me in 5-10 years), in my opinion, it is only in its infancy when it comes to what the robot helps accomplish in the operating room. Surgeons still need to be "great" surgeons. The robot isn't going to make a bad surgeon into a good surgeon. In the current stage of robotics in orthopedics, the robot is a tool. Much like the "analog" tools we have now to place the prostheses in the body and line them up appropriately, if the robot is not used correctly, it can actually make the surgery worse. At some point, much like a modern airplane can fly itself, eventually robots for surgery will be driven by AI engines that allow the robot to "think" and make adjustments on the fly. That day is not quite here yet, but it is rapidly approaching.


In the meantime, this exciting technology is something I am incorporating into my practice and am now excited to offer my patients. If you or a loved one would like to discuss the potential for robotic surgery to help with your joint replacement, please contact my office at your convenience at 808-522-4232 or contact us directly at drvhawaii@gmail.com.

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