True Number of da Vinci Robot Surgery Injuries May Be Very High

Robotic surgery lawsuit numbers are growing amid reports that complications are under-reported.

There have been roughly 3,700 reports of robotic surgery complications in 2013, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). While that number is more than double than that reported in 2012, public health experts argue that the number is likely higher.

The FDA looked at the number of hospitals that report complications in robotic surgery procedures. According to a Bloomberg News analysis, that number dropped by several hundred from 2003 to 2007. Hospitals simply do not have the motivation to report injuries as it can create a paper trail for medical malpractice claims. The company that makes the da Vinci robot, Intuitive Surgical Inc., says that it often does not receive reports for adverse events until it is a named plaintiff in a robotic surgery lawsuit.

How that squares with the fact that their devices are the only ones used in soft-tissue procedures performed by robotic hysterectomy surgeons and for other operations including prostate removal is unclear. However, including all issues with medical devices that include not just da Vinci robot injuries but also issues with hip implants and pacemakers, less than one in six adverse events were reported by hospitals.

What that means is that the risks regarding these procedures may still be under-publicized. Men and women who have dealt with robotic surgery complications including cuts and nicks to organs and hemorrhaging may not realize that the issue may not just be the surgeon, but rather the device as well. Doctors who have extensive experience with the da Vinci robot note that they do help by eliminating issues regarding tremors and other concerns of human frailty.

However, like any tool, it requires frequent use for success, and one surgeon in Illinois noted that there is no minimum training beyond a few days with familiarization preformed by Intuitive Surgical representatives. Yet partly because of the cost, patients are not just at risk for organ cauterization, burns and difficult-to-control bleeding events, but are paying more for the privilege by thousands of dollars compared to older methods.

If you or someone you know developed robotic surgery complications such as excessive bleeding caused by a cut or nick to an internal organ or artery, you may have legal options available to you. Submit your information at the Da Vinci Robot Surgery Class Action Lawsuit Investigation for a free case eligibility review. You may be able to pursue damages from Intuitive Surgical, but the first step is a no-cost legal consultation with a robot surgery lawsuit lawyer.