Sunday, September 27, 2009
Blog 4 - 9/28/09
Hola Peeps! Thanks for logging in.
So sticking with the subject of medical technology, I thought I would get a little personal this week.
This year has been a tough one in the Lanham household, as we were visited by the big C word.
Cancer.
Scary just to look at isn't it? Kinda makes my skin crawl just seeing it sitting there.
Anyway, Mr. L (who I lovingly refer to as Better Half) was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year. On the very first day of summer vacation he had a radical robotic prostatectomy.
That's right, ROBOTIC. Oh the technology implications . . .
His surgeon actually sat ACROSS THE ROOM as he operated on Mr. L! Just like a video game. He has these goggles he looks into and he moves his thumbs and across the room the robotic arms that were INSIDE MY HUSBAND proceeded to do all the things that surgeons used to do the old way. Except when he was done, Mr. L only had 5 small incisions instead of one great big huge one. MUCH faster recovery time.
So go take a look at the pictures of the robot. At the same time, I'm going to play a video from this year's TED conference by a woman who had a hand in designing this robot. Her video is all about how medical technology has changed.
PLEASE NOTE: This video shows a few seconds worth of ACTUAL surgery on someone's insides. It's not bloody or gory. It's kinda interesting in a detached sort of way. BUT if it oogs you out, please look away during those parts.
Please remember: you must advance the discussion in some manner to get credit. "That's cool" or "I like that" is not advancing the discussion. Not now, not in May at the end of the year. You must TELL ME WHY! You may also reply to someone else's post.
Also, if you have questions for Mr. L's surgeon please post them in the blog. I'll email them to him and see if we can get an answer.
http://tinyurl.com/2mhxoh
Talk to me . . .
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93 comments:
I think this Robotic surgery is a great idea. The only drawback is that the original machine is very expesive to purchase. I would prefer the tiny scar that the machine would leave than the long jagged scar that traditional surgery would leave. The result are much easier to recover from. It is probably quicker and easier for the patient, it just takes more experience from the doctor.
The da Vinci sounds pretty neat, but I’m wondering if these could be used to operate on animals. That would defiantly make veterinarians jobs easier. After seeing the video the controls seem very natural. Keeping the incisions small is an improvement indeed, leaving possibly no scars, and less chance of infection. Could you ask Mr. L’s doctor if it would be able to operate on animals?
“Let me cut a hole in his head and see if I can fix it” very nice ^_^
I like the idea of this ROBOTIC SURGERY the doctor can be comfortable while they are sitting and don't have to keep asking a nurse to pass them a instrument that is needed so it's a good invention. The only set back is the price of the machine is expensive and what if it has a breakdown during surgery or something then what?
I think the da vinci sounds great...and I also like the part were people will heal faster.
The Da Vinci machine is cool and all, but why Da Vinci? Why couldn't have been called "The Terminator" or "The Totally Cool Machine with 8 Arms" OH! "The Arachnid!" Something like that. Aside from that, the fact that it is precise and it can go in with a minimal amount of damage to flesh is pretty effective. Sad thing is, no more cool lookin scars. Just tiny little scars that look like you scraped your self on the asphalt or somethin.
The robotic surgery is a really good idea.It shows you all the bad things that are flowing in your blood stream and what are in parts of your body that you cant see while just cutting somebody open. I think this surgery will decrease the chance of having cancer and other harmful things for a long amount of time.
That's crazy...To be able to operate on someone using a robot...And leaving nothing behind but a tiny cut.
I can't imagine how long a doctor has to practice in order to be qualified to use this machine though. It has got to take some extremely skilled hands.
It's a lot different than holding the knife, you are using a machine to do it all for you, accidently moving the controls the long way..You've got some hemmoraging on your hands.
But all in all, the pros outweight the cons, the fact that there is hardly any scar, and that you can recover with rediculous speed, make this one of the greatest advances in medical technology in my opinion.
In my opinion, I think that the Da Vinci that is a revolutionary item that could change the world. But the down side to that is that it's very costly. But effective!!
If I would have ever get a surgery with that machine, I'd be pretty freaked out!!...Especially if the surgeon hasn't had ehough experience.
And Cesar should NEVER be a surgeon...JUST SAYIN'!!
I would feel 100X safer if the da vinci is doing the surgery on me....cuz i think surgery perform by hand can be a lil dangerous
The da Vinci is pretty cool.it seems that it will work very well.the fast healing is great and its will help so that doctors wont have to use their hads inside the patient
This robotic surgery is fantastic, the only reason you wouldn't want to use one is robophobia or something. Seriously, this has practically no disadvantages for the patients from what I've seen.
I know the scary feeling you're talking about. My family, too, has dealt with and overcome cancer. A couple of years ago, my older brother, Brenton, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was one of the worst feelings i have ever felt.
Had i been told at the time that his operation would have been done by a robot, i would have been even more frightened than i already was. The thought of a robot inside my brothers head would have been a little freaky and unsettling.
Now, however, after watching that video i feel more confident that this robot is a positive invention. The faster recovery time and smaller scars afterwards are definatly plus's.
Im still a little uncertain as to whether i would want a robot operating on me or my family, instead an actual human, but the thought that operations could one day be done completely by machine is interesting to think about.
I think the Da Vinci is a great break through in medical technology. I like that it leaves a little incision, instead of a large scar. I would feel only 10x safer if the Da Vinci was to be use on me, because the robot could possibily break down during surgery.
OMG THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY IS AWSOMENESS!!!!! IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO GO GET SURGERY NOW LOL!!! :)
I think that the robotic surgery is a good invention but im still a little concerned. Machines can go wrong at any time--haven't you seen I Robot, Terminator, and other movies that don't come to mind at the moment. Although it is fake it still makes you wonder. But the fact of a faster recovery is amazing and the skills that the surgeons must aquire to perform these surgeries is so great!
When i first saw the di vinci on Grey's Anatomy, i thought that there was no way that a machine could have such great dexterity to perform surgerys by remote control. i dont know if i would trust such a delicate machine to operate on me, because what if it malfunctions or twitches on acciedent or from a shortage and it punctures one of my organs?
I'm sure that the machine is very safe and very efficient, but i can't say that i would feel comfortable. i would need to see the machine in action close up and personal to be completely comfortable.
the da vinci is a great invention its a better alternative then the old fashion surgery people could get they could heal faster and have a small scar insted of the big one they could have.
Ha! this technology sounds amazing, if we could actually take weeks or months off of recovery time after any surgery then i have no problem with it. Although i dont really know how surgeons feel about it, seeing as how traditionally surgeons have done it all by hand and simple cutting tools for hundereds of years. But either way you gotta look at big obvious positives, quicker more efficient surgeries and less down time afterward.
its pretty cool but what if something breakes inside some ones body and kills him that would not be so cool but other than that its a nice machine
I think the Da Vinvi Robot is a good idea becauseit allows us to progress preform minor and even major operations with out the diffucult tasks of opening up sumone. But although this is a fairly new machine and is getting much of attention i think there is much needed work to do before it was released to do operations, the option of viewing and doing a surgery in 3D is kool it should be more advanced than it is with the way the doctor works the robotic arm(s) because if one minor setback or if one mishap happens the surgery could go horribly wrong.
I appreciate the good intentions that the technology has toward people and surgery, but I wouldn't feel very comfortable having a robot operate on me. If the machine were to malfunction during the surgery, I would be too afraid that something irreversable would happen to my body. It just doesn't seem at all natural, which says a lot coming from me. I love computers and technology as much as the next geek, but when it comes to human flesh and lives, it's just a totally different ball game. Unless there were some dramatic circumstances whereas I had no other choice but to use The Da Vinci, I would absolutely prefer a doctor and the old fashioned way.
The first time I saw the TED I was with my dad at work actually, he was performing the anesthesia for one of these surgeries. The machine works like something you would see out of a fictional movie. Its almost like the surgeon is not even there, because it looks like he's just playing a video game more than a surgical tool. Although it is nothing like a child's plaything, it is very quiet and focused in the room but very efficient. The patient was only left with small scars that were maybe a third of the usual scars left from this surgery. The doctor has to be very informed of the robot to work it the way it should be used.
its a realy kool robo, how long did the surgery take what other surgeries can it proform.
WHile the idea of a smaller incision and risk of other operation-related injuries is appealing, I would be a little uncomfortable with someone operating a cutting/sewing machine in my body. Although the chance of error may possibly decrease with the robot, I would be more afraid of all the possible malfunctions and what-nots that could go wrong. Ya know...just like in a video game your thumb could slip or you could just lose focus for a moment and who knows where that could lead. But I'm all for it if it can make treatment for such maladies as cancer any easier. I understand the hardships that must be undergone when dealing with such an illness, and I would do anything to make its victims more comfortable.
Well... I think for "practicality" issues, yes, it is better. But take a look around! This whole "practicality" thing is obselete. Yea, the robot can do more things with the surgery and make it safer and easier for the patient, but what no one did think of is the bad sides. Like... I would love to have an awesome scar that reaches from my toe to my fingernail! Tattoos with stories is what I say. Plus, what happens when they start making these robots automatic and then they graft human skin and organs into themselves, making them cyborg surgens bent on world domination because they didn't like being named after an old dead guy. In the words of yourself Mrs. L, "I'm just sayin."
my main concern with the robo-surgen is its reliability...im just worried that some dark stormy day/night the machine will go crazy and move too fast or cut the wrong thing...it probably wont happen but machines dont ALWAYSE work the way there saposed to
WOW! It's amazing how far technology has come. Although this new robotic surgery is very cool, i have to admit that i probably wouldnt ever be brave enough to go through with that. I would be terrified that the machine would somehow malfunction with me under it :|
GOTA MAKE MONEY SOME HOW LOL LOL
I like how the machine doesnt leave alot of scars and only make little cuts so people won't look like they just had a fight with a wild animal...lolz
The da Vinci sounds like a good idea. Now we don't have to worry about an old surgen's arm twitching, we just have to worry about an eight armed robot that tears us apart.
I am all for the robotic surgery I just wish it wasn't so expensive,that way I would not have to spend so much time recovering for them a hug scar a smaller I believe will heel much quick. That lets you return to work or school quick which leaves you less work to complete or catch up on.
woah, thats purtty cool Mrs. L...weve come pretty far with our technology these days. My dads in the medical biz so he knows a lot about these machines. Im gonna ask him about it and let u know what he says.
I think every hospital should have 1 its seems more safer then the docters doin it by hand.Even know it costs alot but its worth it if it saves more lives.It also has a cool name "The Da Vinci" who wouldnt wanna have 1.LOL....
I am really feeling this new advance in surgery with the da Vinci system. I wouldn't want the doctor to do surgery and leave a huge place for a big nasty scare to be. That will not be sexy when I go swimming or do anything without a shirt and girls are around. So it'll be nice for the to just make a small slit and do all the surgery from that. I hope it is never need for me though cause i plan on staying healthy.
The Robotic surgery sounds very good. it is really crazy what the world is coming up with now days. im petty sure every body would prefer a little scar then a big ugly thing that would be there for the rest oh your life.With the machine it is better recover from.you want have to be up in the bed for weeks so yea this is wonderful idea
i think the idea about robotic surgery is very neat no one have never came up with idea until now. the results will be more quicker. having a robotic surgery would take pressure off the doctors more they wouldn't have to worry about if they would be doing this right or wrong.
I think the da Vinci is pretty cool because it wont leave big scars.
I think the da Vinci is a great new surgical tool that will definitely help surgeons perform more accurate surgeries. Although it claims to be safe and percise, I still think there are some risks when putting your life in the hands of not only a doctor but his robotic surgical system. Robotic surgery is definitely a new helpful technology, but I still think that having a human doctor performing surgery on you is more reliable than a robot for now.
I think that this is absoluelty AMAZING!!! I never cease to be fascinated by the advances in medicine today! It saddens me that altough all this technology seems to be available, it is actually very UNAVAILABLE due to etremely high medical bills. The thing that saddens me so much is that so many people can't afford the medical attention they need and that is what I feel the negative aspect of the Da Vinci is.
I think this new Robotic surgery is very kool..the only thing of course is the cost is outrageous but worth it because of the great results
the robotic surgery is great because you would no longer have long scars but a small one after the surgery.
I think the new and improved robotic surgery is great for completing major surgeries with minor insertions, however; wouldn't this limit the need for surgeons? The Da Vinvi Operator really only requires one surgeon to perform a vast surgery- and what's stopping medical science from inventing a machine that doesn't even require a surgeon to perform the actual operation?
Whoo!!! Ms. L that is shocking but yet interesting.I think this robotic surgery is an awesome idea. But I also wounder what else it could do like does it work on animals an other types of living organizms.
*I think that the Robotic surgery is great and better to use for surgery and more helpful.Alot of more doctors need to get more of them because it is more helpful for the patients and the doctors.*
I think the machine that leaves smaller scars is a good idea, because my mom had ovarian cancer and they had to operate on her and it left a big scar, and it took a while for her to recover. If she wouldve had smaller scars, it would have taken less time to recover, and less pain for my mom!!
i think the robotic surgery is a very great idea. i would probably prefer to have surgery by the robot because what if the surgeion gets tired and he does a simple lil mistake. idk but i prefer the robot.
The machine is an amazing jump into the future, the things we could do now are limitless, BUT if youve read my comments i always post a down side. In this comment though, i cant see many flaws showing up, because the time, effort, and thought that they put into this machine, they have to have thought through all of the mistakes that could arise.
wow that sounds like a lot better than other surgeries i wish i could've only had small incisions! it really is hard to recover from big incisions, just like the lady said-it took me months-with smaller cuts, it's easier not to have a scar it is also nice that the surgeon can see in 3D and see where the cancer is it would be kind of wierd to have a robot inside you there's also a price problem it can't be helping people if the hospital can't afford it (i know i sound super optimistic-maybe i am)
The Da Vinci? it sounds just as interesting as it is. I think our video games skills will come in handy now. I also like the fact of never having a scar on my body for he rest of my life and having surgery on one day and play soccer on the next day, a very fast recovery.
I like it to say the least. vertually it leaves minimal to no scars. I would whant to be opperated on by the da Vinci if and when something gos wrong with me. As many other people has said though is it is very expensive and that will leave a few hospitals and things like that left out untill they bring down the price I am also interested if you could use it on animals that would be phanonimal
I think this is a pretty good idea,,I like the fact that instead of having a huge opening in your body you could just have a few small ones. I think that this is going to help the medical world alot and it could help people with cancer,,and make it where less people could get cancer!
I think it would be grand to have this done beause surgery seems scary but then again on the other hand it would also be scary to have a robot touching your insides!!!I think i would freak out if someone told me that i was gonna be worked on by a robot.Oh and what if the person like got scared and jumped then wouldnt the robot jump while inside of you too?!?!
My sophmore year, I developed a stress disorder that caused this mass to form in my lower intestine and caused internal bleeding and all that junk...when i had the mass removed, they did it robotically, so I've seen technology like this first-hand. Granted, i was unconcious for the entire surgery and a while afterwards, but it was still scary. After they removed it, they tested it to see if it was malignant, but luckily it was a benign tumor. When the surgery was complete though, knowing that technology like this was available really peeked my intrest. This, among other expiriences, prompted me to want to be a surgeon. Things like the Da Vinci robotic arms really advance the precision with which a surgery can be completed, (in addition to lessening recovery time for the patient).
I wonder how a doctor would train for robotic surgery. Do they play video games and once they reach level 100 they're qualified? If that's the case then i'm ready for the position!
All joking aside i think this is pretty sweet, the more robotic surgery gets, the less need for scalpals and scissors all that stuff that freaks people out.
the da vinci seems like a real breakthrough in medical technology. dispite the fact of how much it would be to pay for an operation, it's a awe-inspiring revolution. i sure hope that one day if i break my skull from plummeting down a 3 mile high building, i get a once-in-a-lifetime surgery done by a da vinci(advertisement! ^-^).
Cesar . . . if you google "Leonardo Da Vinci" and "medical" you will understand why they named it after him. He was an innovator and way beyond his time.
It is really kool what we can do with technology. And just to think of how far we have come. makes me wonder what is comming up in the future.
i think that this technology is really koollll
well i think that it is a cool idea. kinda scary since its like u putting technology in ur body! But i agree with miriam lol. id prefer a robot then doctor because i see all there shows doctors leaving stuff in you and it getting infected :( so yeah its way cool with the advance of the ROBOTIC SURGERY
well i think that robotic surgery is cool... but the word CANCER creeps me out
I believe that the robotic surgery is amazing, I've had surgery before and now i have this nasty scar that shows everytime i go swimming, but it doesnt matter because im chito and im always looking fresh, but if they doctors can go inside of you and only have to use a couple of small incisions then it will be really beneficial to your body afterwards.....Yuhhh!!
The Robotic surgery sounds like a really good idea, and i bet it's really expensive also. I like the fact that it does littler incisions and you heal much quicker. I just hope i dont have to be a patient of the ROBOT!!!!
Cris, only you would think about falling from a 3mile high building! >_< but yeah if the da Vinci could do an operation to save your life after that fall, then that'd be cool, unless you already died D:
that thing is awesome it had lots of arms.
I think that this is really cool, that you can have a robot operate on your body, but it's a little scary at the same time. If you really think about it, but at the same time, it has less chance of infection with a small incision. Hopefully i'll never have surgery, but if i did i would more than likely choose the Da Vinci
if i had surgery i would rather have that than 7 doctors and nurses diging through my body!
Personally, I'm not a big fan of surgeries and operations- I had a ... whatsitcalled... a graft placed over a hole in my eardrum when I was younger, and it ended up not holding.
But the Da Vinci sounds really cool, and it probably will help a lot of people more than a doctor or team of doctors could. After all, robots and machinery don't get tired.
i think that the da vinci is a great idea for any hospital especially because it seems to be faster and much safer than a traditional surgery..
ohhhh, THE Da Vinci!! haha, i think that this invention is a great alternative. You will have smaller scars and you'll have a quick recovery. Though when it comes to electronic devices, theres a possibilty that something can go wrong.
I think this robotic surgery thing is Awesome but its also scary and risky.i think everyone would much rather prefer to have the small scar the robot would leave than the long scar the traditional surgery would leave.
The Da Vinci sounds awesome, meaning for other people not personally for me because im not sure if I could ever have a robot inside of me. But it does make the medical field more advanced and equiped to make precise judgements on what they are doing and leaving behind minimal traces of surgery. So sorry C-Gonzalez, no more scars for you to look and google at. But it also has a negative effect also. If more Da Vincis were used, then the use of nurses would decrease therefore people may lose jobs. In todays economy, we have already seen what technology can do for our lives, and what it takes away.
Allison Castellanos
The da Vinci surgical system is surely a huge step forward for surgeons. The idea of a robot operating on you is pretty crazy.
I love the idea of the wrist system and how it mimics the movements the surgeon makes with his hands. This probably helps the surgeon make very precise cuts.
i dont like the fact of having some machine inside of me because wat if it decided to mess up or something goes wrong or there is a power outage i would rather have the doctor there doing the surgery but i do like the fact of having smaller incisions.
I wonder how much the focus of a surgeon's training will change as we see this more and more. They may be trained less for manual surgery and mor for robotic control. By the way, the giant scar would be way cooler than a little one.
To Vinther, T. I agree with you about how the wrist system is very useful. Instead of changing the direction of your hands movement (when moving your hand left the pincer thing moves right) it actually just mimicks your hand's movement making it much easier to not make an accident.
i think its cool how it works because it doesnt leave as big of scars and you can see how everything is evolving through technology but it is a little wierd thinking about how a little machine is in you and what if it malfuntions in you but so far it seems great
The Da Vinci appears very efficient as far as the healing time and damage to tissue is concerned, but I, like many, am worried about the possibility of a malfunction. Yes, human doctors too are capable of error, but this machine is very large, and very expensive. The (Very Real) possibility of a break down could be not only a danger to patients, but could also financially drain the hospital it inhabits.
Very interesting and usefull technology.
this technology makes things way easier for doctors. if you can handle an object like its in your hand, but not have to actually stick your hand inside of them, then the risk of infection is much much smaller.
Wow this sounds so crazy!! The Da Vinci robot sounds like a great improvement over what we did have for surgery before. The small cut would be good for recovery as it said, but then you couldn't brag about some awesome scar you have on your body.
i think this is a big step for surgeons. It makes me wonder what is next.
Technology has come so far. So many new machines and objects to help with surgery have came out but by far this is one of my favorites. It has and will save alot of lives and I think its great!
The Da Vanci sounds very awesome but the only problem I worry about is the machine breaking down during an operation and kills the patienct
All the tools you need in just one tube.....All in your body at once, through one small cut, doing wonders, curing the sick, and giving hope to the hopeless. A robot that cna do all that, and while the doctor is sitting across the room. Kind of makes you want to go do something, that will get you sent to get surgery. If this is what the world is doing now, what will the world do next?
~ Vincent Cole
Question, what if the thing comes alive and no one can control it(it happens)? Question, can they make the controls to look like and xbox contoller? This machine could be really helpful to many people, the problem i could see, is that it prolly cost a lot of money.
i like this idea, but it is really expensive. @ vincent, ur post is real long
The Robotic Surgery is a great idea and differnt too.I think the robotic surgery is more faster and easier to operate with.I would not like a scar that is big and noticeable so i would rather perfer the robotic surgery that doesn't leave a big scar.
I think that this new robot, which to that lady isn't very new, could really help all those people that need surgeries and don't want those big gashes on their skin. The only problem i see is the cost. This thing probably would cost too much to put in all or most of the hospitals. the best thing to do right now would be to only use it as it is being used: for the prostatectomy thing.
I think this blog is also personal to me, because my sister is a cancer survivor. This robotic surgery would have been awesome because my sister now has a 15' scar on her leg where the tumor was. It also would make people feel more safe about having surgery because it would still leave your skin almost intact and not be a scary memory. This could be a great step towards more sufficient surgeries and not as many doctors would be sued for scars or mishaps!
The New Surgical System could be help and dangers at the same time. It could be help fa by letting the doctors look real close to your stomach and when it shows 3D images.
It could be dangers to use because the light could go out during the surgey and one of the lens could be dirts are something because they meant forget to clean them, because everybody do mistakes so i wouldn't let the Surgical System touch me!!
If they only could've had this Robotic Sugery things going when my sister needed it. My sister pasted away at the beginning of January and she deperately needed something. They told her that they could help her but they didn't. She pasted away and to this day my mom still confuses me with her. You might not know her but she was my twin sister her name was Saddilliyinia Barefield and she was exactly like me except she didn't live here she lived in Livingston. But she was my best friend and I still can't get over it and won't get over it. No one knew that I had a twin, because I never bothered to tell anyone. But I miss her so. Only if they had what they have today. I would still have her in my life.
i think that the robotic surgery is agreat idea.the da vince sounds neat but i want to know if you use it for other things.
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