Da Vinci Lawsuit Alleges Robot Surgery Caused Severe Injuries

A da Vinci robot surgery lawsuit was filed against Intuitive Surgical Inc. by Tennessee plaintiff Monda Meyer, who claims that she experienced severe and painful complications allegedly caused by the da Vinci Surgical System.

On Dec. 7, 2011, Meyer underwent surgery in which Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci robot was used to perform the operation. During the procedure, Meyer reportedly sustained damages, specifically an anastomotic leak and a rectovaginal fistula, which required additional surgery to repair. Her surgeon also found that the posterior vaginal wall had developed necrosis in most of the tissue, requiring yet another surgical procedure, according to her da Vinci robot lawsuit.

Meyer and her legal counsel allege that all these injuries and the resulting surgeries are a direct result of the da Vinci surgical robot malfunctioning during the initial procedure. The device’s monopolar current, which runs through the da Vinci robotic arm, reportedly damaged Meyer’s bowels, bladder, uterus, vaginal cuff, and other surrounding organs during the original surgical procedure.

According to Meyer’s da Vinci surgery lawsuit, “had adequate warnings and instructions been provided, Plaintiff’s surgeons would not have suggested a robotic approach, and [Meyer] would have been at a much lower risk of the harmful side effects described[.]”

Meyer suffers and will continue to suffer pain from her injuries, reduced quality of life, and will require more procedures to deal with her current injuries in the future, the robotic surgery lawsuit states.

Meyer is charging Intuitive Surgical with product liability, negligence, fraud, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment. Meyer and her legal representatives are seeking awards for physical, mental, and emotional damages sustained, past and future medical expenses, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees.

Meyer is not the first patient to wage a da Vinci robot lawsuit against Intuitive Surgical. Some patients who have reported injuries after a robotic surgery are joining da Vinci robot class action lawsuits.

History of the da Vinci Robot

The da Vinci Robot Surgical System is a robotic machine designed by Intuitive Surgical in the 1990s. Its design was based on of robotic technology originally developed for and by the United States military. The da Vinci robot consists of three to four robotic arms that are controlled by a surgeon from a console using foot pedals, hand controls, and a three-dimensional display.

Intuitive Surgical marketed the da Vinci robot as a safer surgery tool for use in the following delicate procedures:

• thoracoscopic surgery
• laparoscopic radical prostatectomy
• thoracoscopically-assisted cardiotomy procedures
• mitral valve repair surgery
• totally endoscopic atrial septal defect
• gynecological laparascopic procedures
• other procedures of similar nature

However, patients and physicians alike allege that Intuitive Surgical misrepresented the effectiveness and safety of their surgical systems and failed to inform its consumers of the dangerous defects that the company supposedly knew about since 2006.

While other surgical robots use bipolar and ultrasonic currents in their designs, the da Vinci robot uses monopolar currents and scissors to cut and cauterize surgical tissue. Because of the lack of proper insulation in the da Vinci robot, an allegedly excessive amount of electrical current passes through the surrounding tissue of the surgical area, which can damage other organs inside a patient.

Join a Free da Vinci Robot Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were injured by da Vinci robotic surgery complications, you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify to pursue compensation and join a free da Vinci robot class action lawsuit investigation by submitting your information for a free case evaluation:

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