Rise in robotics seen for hysterectomies

CHICAGO – Between 2007 and 2010, the use of robotically assisted hysterectomy for benign gynecologic disorders increased substantially, although, when compared with laparoscopic hysterectomy, the robotic procedure appears to offer little short-term benefit and is accompanied by significantly greater costs, according to a study* appearing in the February 20 issue of JAMA.

“Hysterectomy for benign gynecologic disease is one of the most commonly performed procedures for women. Overall, 1 in 9 women in the United States will undergo the procedure during her lifetime. While hysterectomy has traditionally been performed abdominally via laparotomy, vaginally, or by laparoscopy, robotically assisted hysterectomy has been introduced as an alternative minimally invasive approach to hysterectomy. The robotic surgical platform received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 for the performance of gynecologic procedures and allows a surgeon to perform the procedure at a remote console,” according to background information in the article. “Proponents of robotic surgery have argued that robotic technology allows women who otherwise would undergo laparotomy to have a minimally invasive procedure. However, there is little to support these claims, and because both laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hysterectomy are associated with low complication rates, it is unclear what benefits robotically-assisted hysterectomy offers.”

The authors add that unlike other procedures such as prostatectomy for which robotic assistance is used more frequently than conventional laparoscopic approaches, laparoscopic hysterectomy is already widely available.

Jason D. Wright, M.D., of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, and colleagues examined the usage of robotic-assisted hysterectomy and assessed in-hospital outcomes and costs for robotically-assisted hysterectomy compaAir Foamposite One