ROBOT SURGEONS ARE THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE
As we know robots replace humans in many industries. Factories do not need to hire people to perform many tasks. Thus, companies are saving a lot of money and committing errors is less likely. It is not difficult to guess that robots will replace humans in successive areas. Recently there was many articles about self driving cars because of which hundreds of thousands of people will lose their’s jobs.
I want to introduce to you subject, which for me is a little frightening vision of the near future. Below I present a few articles and a video on robots performing surgeries instead of human surgeons.
It seems to be obvious that this will become the norm. Robots can use a variety of knowledge resources saved on drive, which surgeons must train for years, and each new person must learn from scratch. Real person is struggling with stress, the weaknesses of the human body and fatigue. Usage of robots seems to be very reasonable - they do not get tired, do not have emotions, perform a sequence of operations with great precision.
On the other hand, what will they do when there will be unexpected complications? What happens when the robot is jammed or is broken during the surgery? What happens when the precision of a robot fails? Vision of being at the mercy of the robot for me carries a plurality questions that needs a clarification.
Questions:
- What do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
- Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
- Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
- Is such solution ethical?
1. I think it's a natural way the evolution works. I think we will have robots performing operations while real people will overview the process. In that case human can always terminate the process and finish the procedure. This is giving us a new possibilities for example performing multiple procedures in the same time while using one surgeon.
ReplyDelete2. As a matter of fact in certain procedures it's better to use the robot because of less invasive way the procedure can be performed by robot. If human being would overview the procedure yes I would agree to let use robot to perform surgery.
3. That's the question about AI behind it, if we can replace the supervising surgeon with AI than probably yes.
4. I think it's ethical and practical - we can perform more surgeries per day which means we can save more human lives - even if someone can say what if robot will fail and I'll ask them what if surgeon has a heart attack or simply bad day and make a mistake? Ethical and practical in my opinion.
Thanks,
Mac
Thank You for comment. Of course it is natural way of the evolution, however still it is frightening for me, with real people as surgeons you can talk with them and ask questions and so on. I see that efficiency can be increased and then there can be performed much more surgeries everyday. For me financial side is interesting. What will be a lot of surgery in comparison to human surgeon.
DeleteWhat do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteRobots support humans in surgery. There is a lot of specialised machines, which are replacing humans to minimise human errors. Robot precision might be expressed in microns what is not unattainable for the best surgeon.
Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
Machine does not have feelings so it can not panic. Unfortunately fully automated surgery process can not be performed in my opinion, because there exists a lot of unexpected scenarios that may occur. That is why human control/assistance will be required during my surgery process.
Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
Maybe in a future as I wrote before.
Is such solution ethical?
My question is - why not and what is not ethical in automated surgery?
Of course the matter of unexpected scenarios are important to consider. There should be supervisors of machines and a lot of 'back up surgeons' just in case robot broke and someone needs to replace him to finish the started surgery. Also there will be needed some technicians and people who will check the robots before and after surgery to make sure that they are working correctly.
DeleteRobots are precise and more accurate than humans. This process in upgrading manufactures we can observe from more than centuries in almost any world factory. However I fear to replace human surgeons as it has been done in industry. This tool can introduce another practical part in saving human life process or truly generating from minor to fatal error. Always human should be responsible for tools that he use, but how you judge malfunction of equipment during medical procedure. Even if you engage to watch surgery in television do you agree to perform life saving operation on animal or human? If you have only one option to save your life do you agree for this surgery? It's probably the most terrifying individual decision for any patient.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I am wondering about. I am afraid that there will become a moment, when I will not have choice - all surgeries will be perform by robots and we will have nothing to say. Fatal errors are really scary to think about. Hopefully we have some time to work on the best system for humans. Definitely it will take a lot of time to create procedures that will be accepted by many people before it will happen.
DeleteWhat do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteThanks for interesting post. Algorithms and robots are becoming better and better. Surgery is one thing that connects many artificial intelligence problems. It is possible in a future that robots will replace surgeons and even be more precise.
Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
Yes, I think that in a future it will be very popular.
Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
I think in a far future it will be possible. Maybe as a first step they will assist surgeons in some routine treatments.
Is such solution ethical?
I think that it is ethical unless it makes harm to someone.
No problem. I am very happy that everyone can learn something from our posts. That is true, there is a lot of people working on algorithms, on Artificial Intelligence and there are huge developments and inventions made every singe day. I can't imagine that everything will go smoothly and that there will be 100% successful surgeries. It is far from reality. I am afraid that people will be "guinea pigs".
Delete1. What do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteI think that this is just a matter of time. The only think I’m worried is related to “non-standard situations”. Let`s be honest, sometimes not everything will go as planned, not everything is visible before the operation. What will robot do in such situation ?
2. Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
Not now. It is still too early. But as I said, this is just a matter of time.
3. Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
No, I don’t think so. Our body is not a perfect machine. We are not always built according to the instruction. I think that machines will have big problems too fully replace humans in medicine. We also need to remember about mobility, we need doctors in places that are not available for machines.
4. Is such solution ethical?
I don’t see anything that is not ethical in this situation.
That is exactly what I am the most worried about. Non-standard situation are very common and a lot of unexpected things happen during surgeries. I am very worried about how it will look like if someone will die because of the robot. Who will be actually blamed for this? How will the investigation look? What do insurance companies say?
DeleteWhat do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots? In my opinion this is a good solution, it excludes human weakness. I would agree with this if the work is able to match and man in or be better. Do think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine? In my opinion, it is a good idea in those areas where it is safe. Is such an ethical solution? Yes of course.
ReplyDeleteBut robot operators will also have people with their weaknesses. Do you really see such a big difference between the two scenarios? For me they are very similar, in both are humans, the only difference is that in the first humans have self-control in the second must have above the machine.
DeleteWhat do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good idea, but only when a human surgeon supervises the surgery. Robots can perform many interventions more accurate and more precise than human (e.g. because of the size of a robot and human hand). The injury after the surgery could possibly be much smaller, as robot does not need a wide cut in a human body to perform a procedure. From the other side, a robot performs actions that are proggrammed in its algorithms, but it may happend that the real situation during the surgery may require unconventional actions.
Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
If a surgeon will supervise it, then for sure yes.
Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
No. In my opinion medicine is broad and very complex area with many exceptions that not always can be defined by patterns and algorithms. Sometimes doctors need to use their imagination and creativity to solve some cases.
Is such solution ethical?
Yes. I think it is ethical.
The most important thing is not to rely only on algorithms. Recently I noticed that even doctors are looking for a solution on the Internet, less and less want to learn be heart their's own science, don't want to participate in symposia and learn from trusted sources. Especially doctors from smaller towns, everything is based only on doctors from Warsaw or a few other major towns.
DeleteWhat do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteIt could potentially reduce the risk of human error, be more accurate and improve the safety of operation.
Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
Yes, I would agree to be operated by robot.
Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
Healthcare has a technical potential for automation, but the potential is lower for health professionals whose daily activities require expertise and direct contact with patients. Even when machines do take over some human activities in an occupation, this does not necessarily spell the end of the jobs in that line of work.
Is such solution ethical?
How helping people could be considered unethical?
But it can cause an increase number of errors with robots and machines. I wonder if the cost of such robots is high or not. As we know the issue of surgery does not depend on the absence of surgeons, but from budget for treatment. In hospitals, the number of persons admitted is defined. The national health fund successively reduces the cost of treatment. With my own experience, I know that patients are being not admitted to hospitals because of lack of places.
DeleteWhat do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteSome surgeons are and will not possible to be done by a human. These surgeons require high precision or access to unreachable places.
Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
It depends on the complexity of such surgery. If the surgery, in case of a broken robot, can be completed by a regular surgeon I see no problem. However, it is not hard to imagine a broken machine which brings damages.
Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
Maybe, not yet. Eventually, surgeons will become programmers who will supervise the treatment.
Is such solution ethical?
I see no unethical cons of such solutions. It might be unethical if people apply solutions which have not been tested enough and seems to be much more dangerous than helpful.
For many years, there were no machines, robots, and other help for doctors, but people could deal with health problems by themselves. Of course, there should be a lot of tests, but are they possible without the volunteers who can carry out tests? At some point, animal sacrifices or computerized ones will be insufficient. I think that then there are practical problems with ethics and a lot of opposition from the human right organizations.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1.What do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteSooner or later robots will replace human surgeons in part of their work.
Robot beats humans is by doing the same thing every time. Since it draws on best practices, it’s sure to use the most cutting-edge or appropriate techniques — a leg-up on surgeons who either don’t have experience with a certain procedure or who have outdated knowledge. And unlike humans, it never forgets basics or gets distracted.
2.Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
At certain point in time there will be no other option. Most important question will be: Who programed such robot and how many bugs robot software have?
3.Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
No. There will be always someone to program it.
4. Is such solution ethical?
Robot makes cars. It is ethical ?
I would not compare the manufacture of cars to human surgeries. I think the surgeons with many years of experience do not suddenly forget their skills. Their knowledge is also not going to be barred, every day something new is discovered, but in this profession you have to learn all the time.
DeleteThe problem is more likely in unqualified workers who are not getting into the profession, but they do not have other job, so they "work" to retire one day.
1. What do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, total replacement humans by robots would not be advisable in surgery. It does not mean I am against using them at all – I would let it on two conditions. First of all, robots can realize less sophisticated parts of the surgery process. Apart from that, it must be always conducted and managed by medical personnel. Our life is such valuable, that we should not fully rely on machines interfering to our bodies.
2. Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
I would be able to agree, but only on the conditions mentioned above in point 1. Otherwise there is always possibility to commit irreversible errors during surgery. This is a kind of risk we should not take, if we do not have to.
There can be a situation in the future, that because of limited availability of human surgeons, robots can be the only one chance to lead surgery saving someone’s life. But even in such situation it must be human, who shall decide, which scenario ensures more probability of success.
3. Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
Definitely, in my opinion, they are going to be able to replace humans during standard treatments very soon, and during more sophisticated ones – in the future.
But they will never be able to replace people in the medicine as such, because machines cannot take care of the patient, taking into consider his physical problems together with psychological aspects – only such complex treatment has a real healing value.
4. Is such solution ethical?
For me, solutions using robots in medicine can be considered as ethical only if they are applied under humans’ control. Otherwise it is dangerous and not ethical as such, in my opinion.
Thank you for such an exhaustive answer to all questions. I think that people of our age, especially those who work with technology on a daily basis, have no resistance to imagine such situations. But what are the older generations like our parents? For them it may be the biggest nightmare, something known only from the unrealistic movies. Is it possible for them to accept such a solution? From the perspective of my family, I see how great problem it can be.
DeleteAnother problem is taking responsibility for the work that was mentioned earlier. Will machine operators be responsible for accidents at work?
What do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteAs long as they are as good as the human ones I don't mind. Precision can be greater, but still everything depends on the algorithms. In case of something out of the box robots can fail miserably where humans can shine.
Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
Not in the next 10 years :)
Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
In next decade? Probably not, but in the next century? For sure. If we invent good AI someday.
Is such solution ethical?
The question is, is it unethical? Let's take a look at numbers. How many professional surgeons do we have? Now let's compare it to the amount of patients. It's inevitable.
What do You have on mind by saying "if we invent good AI someday"? I think that AI nowadays is working really well, maybe in Poland we don't have chances to hear about that, but in general the level is pretty high. I would say that not only algorithm is important but also people who are working on hardware, on networks and connections, everything is connected with other things and should be done in parallel in order to succeed.
DeleteIn my opinion, robots will not replace human surgeons, but will only improve the work of surgeons. The human surgeon will have to be available in the event of a robot crash. The accuracy of the robot is higher than human precision, so it's definitely a good road. Operation using a robot - of course yes, but only under the supervision of a human surgeon. I do not see unethical issues in this solution.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure whether accuracy of robots is higher than human precision, someone should use this robot and should be trained very very precisely how to deal with machine.
DeleteHere You can read about legal and ethical issues:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20224537
I agree with most of respondents. Robots can't replace human surgeons completely as there are situations in operating room that require non zero-one decisions. Work of a surgeon is highly creative task, the property that robot could never mimic (although many techno-enthusiasts would probably discuss this statement). Their work is a mixture of knowledge, experience, manual skills, craftsmanship, abilities to take a complex decisions in a very short time and probably some more components that we couldn't imagine.
ReplyDeleteAugmenting surgeon's abilities with robots, on the other hand, is a different topic. It has already started and is a desirable phenomena, in my opinion.
Yes I absolutely agree with augmenting surgeon's abilities with robots - this seems to be the greatest option. The other question is how surgeons will be paid? Maybe because of robots they will have to learn how to operate robots, or there will be special technicians that will take care of it. Maybe they will earn less than nowadays.
Delete1. What do you think about replacing human surgeons by robots?
ReplyDeleteIn some cases it may be very helpful for medicine. Especially in situation when there is any surgeon within reach. It can save someone’s life. On the other hand it is not a well-tested technology so we should be careful.
2. Would you agree to carry out your surgery by a robot?
In the distant future I would agree. Unfortunately I’m afraid of possible problems that can happen during surgery. However I think such surgeries will be in common usage in a few years.
3. Do you think that robots will be able to completely replace humans in medicine?
I don’t know. In my point of view it isn’t possible despite the current contribution of robots in surgery area. There must be always a human that would monitor the work of robots.
4. Is such solution ethical?
I don’t see any unethical or immoral tone. In my opinion using robots in medicine causes some questions and problems however wide spectrum of advantages speaks for itself.
Well it is true that it might be helpful, but do You say (as answer to 1st question) that surgery might be taken when there in nobody supervising the machine? someone have to start machine, set everything up and so on. I guess we need a lot of testing before anything like that will happen. And this will take many many years.
DeleteMany people say that it is not ethical solution, that is why I wanted answer from all of You.
Honestl, I would feel much more comfortable if robots hadn't taken over roles of surgeons. I know that people do make mistakes, but still in certain situations human brain, knowledge and experience are irreprecable and priceless. Of course I think that robots can be useful when it comes to supporting surgeons in their day-to-day work.
ReplyDeleteI think replacing human surgeons with robots is a great idea. Nowadays this technology is on the beginning of its expansion. We should keep in mind that as student of medicine must spend plenty of time reading and practicing also AI must be trained with a lot of high quality data. After 10 years of development robot surgeons I would prefer to be operated by robot than human. Of course there will be mistakes even a serious one, but in fact they’ve always have and would be.
ReplyDeleteAs from statistical point of view robots make less mistakes. It is possible that robots will replace all surgeons. I don’t think they replace nurses, but probably being served by a nurse in a hundred years will be much more expensive. For me this topic isn’t the case for ethics.