At age 42, Dr. Jeffrey A. Cadeddu felt like a dinosaur in urologic
surgery. He was trained to take out cancerous prostates the traditional
laparoscopic way: making small incisions in the abdomen and inserting
tools with his own hands to slice out the organ.
But now, patient after patient was walking away. They did not want that kind of surgery. They wanted surgery by a robot, controlled by a physician not necessarily even in the operating room, face buried in a console, working the robot’s arms with remote controls.
“Patients interview you,” said Dr. Cadeddu, a urologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. “They say: ‘Do you use the robot? O.K., well, thank you.’ ” And they leave.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Results Unproven, Robotic Surgery Wins Converts - NYTimes.com
Author: GINA KOLATA
