According to the FDA, Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci Robot system has received 3,697 adverse reports through November 3, 2013. This number is more than double of the number of adverse events Intuitive Surgical received last year at this time. Last year, the da Vinci robot only received 1,595 complaints through the FDA.
Click here to read the full Bloomberg article: Intuitive Surgical Robot Incident Reports Double in Year
Additionally, the FDA surveyed a small sample of doctors who use the Da Vinci robot system. The results showed a wide variety of training experience for the doctors who participated in the study. There appeared to be no consistent training for the surgeons who use the system. According to the FDA, “All respondents report that learning how to use the da Vinci Surgical System is the biggest challenge because of the device’s complex user-interface.”
The 11 doctors surveyed reported diverse patient complications when using the surgical system, including reversible limb palsy, temporary nerve damage in the fingers, bleeding from perforated bowels and peripheral vision loss.
Previously, studies were published from the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Journal for Healthcare Quality. These studies discussed the complications and reporting numbers of the da Vinci Robot System.
If you are a patient considering a da Vinci robot surgery, you may wish to ask your doctor about alternatives for your particular problem. If you or a loved one has been injured from a procedure involving the da Vinci robot, and wish more information about your legal rights, you can contact the lawyers at the Brandi Law Firm (800-481-1615 or email us).
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