Humans vs robots: Who make better surgeons?

New Delhi: The massive advancement in technology may have led to digitisation, but let's not forget that humans are the ones who made technology possible.

A new study suggests, that robots cannot surpass the capabilities of humans when it comes to performing surgeries. The study said that humans still make better surgeons than robots, carrying out operations in a shorter time yet making no more mistakes.

Robotic surgery has increased substantially in the NHS since the first machines were installed a decade ago, and is commonly used for prostate, bladder and kidney removal as well as for cutting out tumours.

The robots or robotic arms were expected to be more accurate, dexterous and quicker than their human counterparts, but the study revealed that they do not improve outcomes for patients and the operations also take longer.

According to a report in the Telegraph UK, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in the US reviewed nearly 25,000 operations across 416 American hospitals between 2006 and 2012.

They found that just 28 percent of kidney removal patients who had keyhole surgery performed by a human surgeon were under the knife for more than four hours, compared to 46 percent of those who were operated on robotically. Robotic surgery was also around £2,000 more expensive per patients.

Dr Benjamin Chung, associate professor of urology at Stanford , said: “We found that, although there was no statistical difference in outcome or length of hospital stay, the robotic-assisted surgeries cost more and had a higher probability of prolonged operative time,” the Telegraph UK said.

While the robots undoubtedly show efficiency and prove helpful in tricky operations which require a high degree of delicate maneuvering, or extensive internal stitching, for less technically challenging surgery, such as the removal of a whole kidney, the new study shows that humans are likely to be better.

Although the authors say it is possible the operating time will decrease and that the cost differences between the two procedures will narrow over time, for now, the results show that robot-assisted surgery is not always the right choice, the report said.

The research was published in the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA).