Hospitals misleading patients about benefits of robotic surgery, study suggests

An estimated four in 10 hospital websites in the United States publicize the use of robotic surgery, with the lion's share touting its clinical superiority despite a lack of scientific evidence that robotic surgery is any better than conventional operations, a new Johns Hopkins study finds.




But Makary says there are no randomized, controlled studies showing patient benefit in . "New doesn't always mean better," he says, adding that robotic surgeries take more time, keep patients under anesthesia longer and are more costly.






Makary says websites do not make clear how institutions or physicians arrived at their claims of the robot's superiority, or what kinds of comparisons are being made. "Was robotic surgery being compared to the standard of care, which is laparoscopic surgery," Makary asks, "or to 'open' surgery, which is an irrelevant comparison because robots are only used in cases when minimally invasive techniques are called for."


"Hospitals need to be more conscientious of their role as trusted medical advisers and ensure that information provided on their websites represents the best available evidence," he says. "Otherwise, it's a violation of the public trust."

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Provided by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Citation: Hospitals misleading patients about benefits of robotic surgery, study suggests (2011, May 18) retrieved 28 May 2020 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-hospitals-patients-benefits-robotic-surgery.html

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