FUTURE IDEAS AND CONSIDERATIONS
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
Robotic surgeons may replace human surgeons in the future. Not only will they reduce human error, they may also reduce the labour required. In operations, many people are required to ensure that the surgery proceeds smoothly, such as nurses to hand the equipment to the doctors to perform the surgery. As such, there may be increased human error, such as the nurse handing the wrong equipment to the doctor or handing the used ones to the doctors without sterilizing them. Robots can carry out the procedure the more accurately without causing overcrowding of the room.
Robotic surgeons may even be used for plastic surgery which are currently in trend and such innovations can be used to increase the accuracy of the surgery by reducing human error and surgical infection. Also, robotic surgery can be used together with the aid of telescopic camera, where the wound can be minimized and can recover more quickly compared to the normal surgery tools used. This will reduce the hospital stay, increasing success and survival rates.
Robots may even dominate the human population in the future as robots could be invented to replace humans in jobs that are high in risk or requires a lot of energy or time-consuming such as doing housework.
Telesurgery may be incorporated in many operations like in those developing countries where surgeons are scarce and the need for surgery is essential. The healthcare of those in the developing countries can be improved through this method. Also, the skills not acquired by the surgeons in some areas can be replaced by the surgeons in other countries who have the skills which are lacking and operating on the patients through telesurgery such that the patients do not have to travel all the way to other countries to undergo the surgery, saving time which could result in delay of surgery and may increase the risks of death.
As skills are required to operate using the robots, perhaps the doctors undergoing trainings should be taught how to use the robotic surgery machine to gain experience such that they acquire the basic skills which may be useful in the future when robotic surgery is used widely in all aspects of surgery.
Perhaps the robotic surgeons can even act on its own by customizing the procedures before the operation starts such that the robotic surgeons can be used in other many different types of surgery like heart by-pass surgery and cosmetic surgery.
Kinect Tech can also be introduced for surgery. Kinect Tech is a computer program that takes a 3D image of a patient's anatomy and produces several 2D images taken from different angles, which enables surgeons to operate those images using gesture and voice alone. Surgeons can more easily maintain a sterile environment when they don't have to manipulate equipment, and they rely less on assistants to manipulate the visual-aid equipment for them, which can result in miscommunication and errors.
Robotic surgeons may even be used for plastic surgery which are currently in trend and such innovations can be used to increase the accuracy of the surgery by reducing human error and surgical infection. Also, robotic surgery can be used together with the aid of telescopic camera, where the wound can be minimized and can recover more quickly compared to the normal surgery tools used. This will reduce the hospital stay, increasing success and survival rates.
Robots may even dominate the human population in the future as robots could be invented to replace humans in jobs that are high in risk or requires a lot of energy or time-consuming such as doing housework.
Telesurgery may be incorporated in many operations like in those developing countries where surgeons are scarce and the need for surgery is essential. The healthcare of those in the developing countries can be improved through this method. Also, the skills not acquired by the surgeons in some areas can be replaced by the surgeons in other countries who have the skills which are lacking and operating on the patients through telesurgery such that the patients do not have to travel all the way to other countries to undergo the surgery, saving time which could result in delay of surgery and may increase the risks of death.
As skills are required to operate using the robots, perhaps the doctors undergoing trainings should be taught how to use the robotic surgery machine to gain experience such that they acquire the basic skills which may be useful in the future when robotic surgery is used widely in all aspects of surgery.
Perhaps the robotic surgeons can even act on its own by customizing the procedures before the operation starts such that the robotic surgeons can be used in other many different types of surgery like heart by-pass surgery and cosmetic surgery.
Kinect Tech can also be introduced for surgery. Kinect Tech is a computer program that takes a 3D image of a patient's anatomy and produces several 2D images taken from different angles, which enables surgeons to operate those images using gesture and voice alone. Surgeons can more easily maintain a sterile environment when they don't have to manipulate equipment, and they rely less on assistants to manipulate the visual-aid equipment for them, which can result in miscommunication and errors.
ISSUES/PROBLEMS
We should consider the technological aspects such that robots may not always be hundred percent correct and accurate. We must not forget there are times when the robots or rather machines may be faulty.
Also, there must be steps taken to ensure that the price of the surgery remains affordable for most of the patients as the introduction of the robotic surgeons may have increased cost and the extra costs incurred should be bear equally or mostly by the government such that there is an improvement in healthcare facilities as well as more affordable treatments. Perhaps there could be improvements made to the CPF scheme like increasing the contributions employees make every month so they can better afford the improved treatments made available to them and not only for the wealthy. The costs may eventually reduce as the robotic surgeons are more efficient in number of operations and become more affordable for most.
It is possible for the robotic surgeons to venture into the cosmetic surgery as this area is highly sought-after and that the robots reduce the labor required, just like the other surgeries whereby the robots are used. This may make cosmetic surgery more available and accessible to majority and may result in social issues whereby there is too much focus on external beauty and may even widen the social groups, increasing stereotypes.
There are also some issues which we have to consider- if the surgery did not take place according to plan due to malfunction of the robot, for example, resulting in the patient’s death, should we place the responsibility on the hospital or the manufacturer of the robots?
Although there are issues and problems anticipated and needs to be solved and looked into, our group believes that robotic surgery is going to be a revolutionary change, replacing the traditional way of operation.
Also, there must be steps taken to ensure that the price of the surgery remains affordable for most of the patients as the introduction of the robotic surgeons may have increased cost and the extra costs incurred should be bear equally or mostly by the government such that there is an improvement in healthcare facilities as well as more affordable treatments. Perhaps there could be improvements made to the CPF scheme like increasing the contributions employees make every month so they can better afford the improved treatments made available to them and not only for the wealthy. The costs may eventually reduce as the robotic surgeons are more efficient in number of operations and become more affordable for most.
It is possible for the robotic surgeons to venture into the cosmetic surgery as this area is highly sought-after and that the robots reduce the labor required, just like the other surgeries whereby the robots are used. This may make cosmetic surgery more available and accessible to majority and may result in social issues whereby there is too much focus on external beauty and may even widen the social groups, increasing stereotypes.
There are also some issues which we have to consider- if the surgery did not take place according to plan due to malfunction of the robot, for example, resulting in the patient’s death, should we place the responsibility on the hospital or the manufacturer of the robots?
Although there are issues and problems anticipated and needs to be solved and looked into, our group believes that robotic surgery is going to be a revolutionary change, replacing the traditional way of operation.