Robot surgeon performs world's first unassisted operation

We're sure that more than a few of our readers are keen on robots and interested in the latest developments in robotics, but how many of you would volunteer to be the guinea pig for the world's first unassisted heart surgery? Even though there were about a million doctors on hand to monitor Dr. Carlo Pappone's robosurgeon doing its detailed work on a 34-year-old Italian patient suffering from atrial fibrillation (heart flutters), we can't help but wonder if a juxtaposed "0" and "1" in the bot's code is all it would take to drive a scalpel somewhere that it isn't supposed to go. Luckily for the pioneering patient, the 50-minute surgery went off without a hitch, most likely due to the fact that the prototype bot has software containing data about some 10,000 real-world operations, and has already performed assisted procedures on at least 40 people. Pappone, who initiated and monitored the latest surgery from a computer in Boston while it was occurring in Milan, plans to release a commercial version of the unnamed robosurgeon later this month.

[Via PhysOrg]

[Samantha @ Aug 12th 2008 1:07AM]

Marc Bouffard is right. As surgeons, we don't do procedures as if it's a simple line of steps that works for all complications. Rather we are expected to know what to do just in case something abnormal or unexpected happens. Sure, we are trained to know a lot of procedures but in the end we are expected to adapt and think of a new step to correct something that wasn't taught to us. If being a surgeon is something programmable then anybody can be a surgeon.

Robots will only do what is inputted to them. So when a complication is not in their programming, they don't know what to do. A network of procedures might help but it's still in the surgeon's discretion and experience whether or not it'll work for her case.

You don't become a surgeon because your hands are precise; you become a surgeon because your mind can devise. And your brain can decide what will help save a life.

[P! @ May 19th 2006 10:26AM]

its all fun and games until this thing becomes self aware and chooses who lives and who dies!

[bob @ May 19th 2006 10:41AM]

if it runs under windows you can count me out - blue screen of death would bring on a new meaning altogether lmao

[PodMonkeys @ May 19th 2006 10:50AM]

That seems like quite a feat. I'd like to know what they offered the patients to convince them to be their guineapigs. Also, it'd be interesting to see the waivers they signed, to see the clauses they agreed to.

There were probably always a couple of heart surgeons in the room, so they were probably safe anyway.

[Robert Preseau @ May 19th 2006 11:12AM]

Hmmm.... didn't read the end of the blurb the first time. The guy wasn't even in the same country while he was performing the surgery? That's... um... wow.

[John Stracke @ May 19th 2006 11:28AM]

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

There, Doctor, I said it. Could you put the scalpel down now, please?

[Elias Tawil @ May 19th 2006 11:42AM]

More reasons to look after your health.

[Adam K @ May 19th 2006 11:44AM]

I think its a pretty good idea, after all a surgeon is only human. His fingers could slip, his eyes could blur, all sorts of things. Robots wont have adware or popups so its only focus is the surgery. A lot of what current computers have problems with is programs not working together right. This thing would be designed to work flawlessly. Now if they sold a home surgery kit for Windows Vista, I'd be scared. Even if it did have the latest firmware.

[rbvdb @ May 19th 2006 12:01PM]

Just think of the possibilities of this...
Finally another job sector that can be completely outsourced to India!

[chris @ May 19th 2006 1:27PM]

I hope it doesnt misinterpret ;

[greatslack @ May 19th 2006 1:59PM]

nice hyperbole, Holden

[Ben @ May 19th 2006 2:05PM]

You realize, of course, that even if this technology becomes more widespread and demonstrates a level of accuracy and success equal to or greater than human doctors, people are going to get up in arms and freak out the first time it kills someone.

[cheapside @ May 19th 2006 2:22PM]

I can just imagine walking down a street minding my own business and one of these robots pops out, knocks me over the head, and steals my kidneys, sewing me back up right proper.
Would I know? Could I sue? Would I care?

The mind boggles.

[tekdemon @ May 19th 2006 3:07PM]

lol good thing I never wanted to become a surgeon cuz that is one career field that's about to be doomed.

[Alex @ May 19th 2006 3:34PM]

"welcome our new robot overlords" - My favorite t-shirt John :)

[Gr1zz @ May 19th 2006 4:39PM]

Id let the 2-1B work on me without a second thought, but I definitally wouldent be operated on by something that is so new it does not yet have a name.

http://www.starwars.com/databank/droid/21b/index.html

[Ian @ May 19th 2006 7:31PM]

Look on the bright side; I can see robots completely taking over the Hemorrhoid surgery sector. Nothing like having to stare at some guy?s butt to make you question all the years spent at medical school.

[Perrey Z. @ May 19th 2006 8:22PM]

And i thought HMOs were bad...

Entertaining robots: Good.

Surgeron Robots: Bad... VERY bad.

[Bog @ May 20th 2006 2:02AM]

Just finished re-reading 'Blade Runner' (the book by Alan E. Nourse, not the movie based on a different book), put the book down, boot the computer, and the only thing I could add to this would be the Twilight Zone theme...

[Marc Mayor @ May 20th 2006 4:51AM]

Maybe it's time to invest in this stuff...

[Dp462090 @ Sep 25th 2006 7:01AM]

"Maybe it's time to invest in this stuff..."
Until someone dies, then the stock will fall big time.

[GSI @ May 20th 2006 9:15AM]

One step closer to the end of the world...

[dnl2ba @ May 20th 2006 2:15PM]

I can't help but think that all it takes is one surgery gone wrong to attract a lot of bad media attention and sink the product.

[phreaki @ May 20th 2006 3:01PM]

This really is exciting news for a number of reasons.
It may not ease anyone's qualms, but in a number of research projects I read about, neural nets are amazing at detecting and classifying all sorts of cellular problems.

While it's poking away in there at break-neck speed, it can sample cells to quickly identify any abnormal growth. Having a surgeon remove cells very slowly wouldn't allow a major review of what's going on around the problems at hand.

[Benk @ May 24th 2006 4:02AM]

"...there were about a million doctors on hand..."

Yeh, about a million doctors about to lose their jobs to Number 5, Hal, Thundercleese and Bender!

Stop this nonsence I say!

[Marc Bouffard @ Jun 10th 2006 6:32PM]

This is absurd. This robot is fine for simple surgeries, but when some diseased vasculature ruptures unexpectedly, is the robot going to stop the bleeding as a surgeon can? What about that rare appendectomy when the appendix is actually found on the patient's left side? The value of a surgeon is not in his steady hands, but in dealing with the unexpected. This, a robot will never be able to do as well as a human.

[JohnBCool @ Jan 1st 2009 2:40PM]

Now if they can repopulate then we should worry because we already know how to artificially in simulate this could be the down turn of mankind right well it is okay i have my self cooling cushion i will just chill out of this one Man and women will have to take a back seat to orgazzzzzzzimes now http://www.shop.selfcoolingproducts.com/product.sc?productId=2

[Eddie Gersh @ Jul 19th 2006 4:19PM]

Marc, what you speak of is the knowledge, and experience of a surgeon. I think we can agree that a robot can hold FAR more knowledge Then you or I.

They also said this robot had helped in other surgeries before. That means that it WOULD be able to stop the unexpected. All you'd need to do it make a robot learn enough and experience enough, then copy all of it into other robots.

I suppose you could also set up a network, where they share each other's surgeries. Before too long, these robots would all know much more then any human.

It's not like they would ever lose something inside the patient:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/19/rfid-to-prevent-loss-of-surgical-sponges-inside-patients/

I think this is a great oppourtunity for humanity.

[Andrew @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:32AM]

oh contraire

The human brain can hold more information than all the libraries in the world. Not to mention, have you ever had an "Unexpected Error occured, quitting" message? I know that's not going to happen to the robot (hopefully?) but that shows the extent of a machine's ability to deal with the expected.

"Error 37118: unexpected bleeding occured, stitching patient up"

All I'm saying is, there won't be surgeons leaving this thing on its own for a while, and there wont ever be one of those poking at MY insides. Good old fashioned surgeons for me, with a Junior Mint for good measure (Sienfeld).

But hey, if it saves one life, it's worth it.

[Marc @ Nov 6th 2007 11:00PM]

Have you ever had a "brain fart" before...thats about the same as "Unexpected Error occured, quitting" message don't you think.