[aladoc99]

Not a surgeon or robot-user, but just by way of example, conventional wisdom in the medical world is that the best niche for robotically-assisted surgery is radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Conventional wisdom is that the robot permits better preservation of pelvic nerves, leading to lower rates of postoperative incontinence. If true, this is well worth a longer, more expensive procedure.

[rscho]

In my center, surgical times went from 2h to a whopping 6h+ for radical prostatectomy after introduction of the robot. While you are right in that radical prostatectomy is to my knowledge the only case of demonstrated robot superiority, fragile patients may suffer from the longer operative times (a major risk factor for post op complications)

[MrFantastic]

Is saving 4 hours worth having to wear diapers for the rest of your life?

Would a damp environment increase risk of skin infection down the line?

[mattkrause]

The issue isn't four hours of staff time; it's the added risks to the patient from four more hours of anesthesia.