2 hrs ago
Indian Surgeons Seek Insurance Coverage to Lower Robotic Surgery Costs
Doctors in India met to discuss robotic surgery.
Robotic systems can help surgeons perform some operations more precisely.
However, these procedures can be expensive for patients.
The doctors said insurance could help more people afford them.
They also said competition among robot makers might lower prices.
Indian-made robots are becoming available, but doctors said some are not yet as efficient as the Da Vinci system.
The conference included demonstrations and discussions about training, artificial intelligence and machine problems.
The experts also said robots are not suitable for every operation.
They are still debating who would be responsible if a robot made a mistake.
More than 300 robotic urologists, surgeons, academics and healthcare experts attended the national conference in New Town.
Experts demonstrated seven to eight robotic systems and discussed their technical performance, costs and clinical uses.
Doctors said wider insurance coverage and increased competition could reduce the cost of robotic surgery in India.
Indian-made robots such as Mantra are cheaper but have not reached the efficiency of the Da Vinci system, according to the experts.
Participants discussed artificial intelligence, machine failures, surgical mistakes and responsibility if a robot causes harm.
- Who
- More than 300 robotic urologists, surgeons, academicians and healthcare experts, including Anant Kumar, Tarun Jindal and Ravimohan.
- What
- Experts discussed the cost, training, technology, insurance coverage and safety of robotic urological surgery.
- Where
- New Town, with online participation from international faculty members.
- When
- The discussions took place during the three-day eighth national conference of the Robotic Urology Forum.
- Why
- Doctors sought ways to make robotic surgery more affordable, improve training and address technical and ethical concerns.
Broader Robotic Surgery Access
Caution and Limitations
Insurance coverage
Broader Robotic Surgery Access
Doctors argued that wider insurance coverage could make robotic surgery affordable and increase its use in India.
Caution and Limitations
Coverage remains limited; in Rajasthan, state insurance covers robotic surgery only in government hospitals.
Robotic systems
Broader Robotic Surgery Access
The use of Indian-made robots such as Mantra and greater competition could reduce surgical costs.
Caution and Limitations
The experts said Indian-made systems have not yet reached the efficiency of the Da Vinci system.
Automation and responsibility
Broader Robotic Surgery Access
Advances in machine learning could eventually allow robots to perform more of the procedure after being trained with data.
Caution and Limitations
Robots cannot be used for every operation, and questions remain about responsibility if a machine makes a mistake.
Key facts
- Conference
- Eighth national conference of the Robotic Urology Forum
- Attendance
- More than 300 experts attended, while one session was watched by over 350 people
- Robotic systems
- Seven to eight types of robots available in India were demonstrated in delayed live sessions
- Insurance
- Robotic surgery is covered by state insurance in Rajasthan, but only in government hospitals
- Cost reduction
- Doctors linked lower costs to insurance coverage, competition and the use of Indian-made robots
- Technology comparison
- The experts said Mantra has not reached the same efficiency as the Da Vinci robotic system
- Ethical issue
- Participants questioned who would be responsible if a robot made a mistake
Quotes
Tarun Jindal
Consultant uro-oncologist and robotic surgeon at Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, and conference organising secretary
“We are showing surgeries by seven to eight types of robots that have come to India in delayed live format. We are trying to learn the technicalities of each robot so that one day we can decide which would be the most efficient for use and estimate the surgical cost accordingly.”
telegraphindia.com
“You cannot have more than one trainee in an OT environment. But in this conference, we have over 350 people watching the operation, discussing problems and getting their doubts cleared in real time by the operating surgeon.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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