An August 19th DOTmed article discussed the benefits of robot assist in hernia repair. A study published in Surgical Endoscopy found that less than one percent of 368 procedures documented between 2011 and 2015 required open incision protocol. Robotic assist decreases post-op complications and aids recovery, especially in bariatric patients.
Open surgery is still the standard for hernia repair, but Dr. Anthony Gonzalez, Chief of Surgery at Baptist Hospital of Miami, says, “Decreasing length of stay, and complications translates to savings in health care expenditures. On average, each robotic procedure creates a savings of $2,000.” The device used for the procedure, the da Vinci, is already approved for general surgery and doesn’t need an additional FDA approval for hernia repair use.
