Robot-assisted surgery is generally faster, more precise, and accurate but usually costs more than procedures performed by experienced doctors ?

Futureized

Futureized

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A few years ago, during the COVID-19 period, my mother underwent a hip replacement surgery performed by an experienced doctor with over 40 years of practice, located in the suburbs.

Recently, however, she had a fall during her usual evening walk. We consulted another doctor, the same one who had performed a knee replacement for my father about 10 years ago. After assessing her condition, he recommended that she consider knee replacement surgery.

This doctor provided us with a detailed list of charges, totaling approximately 350,000. He mentioned an option for robotic-assisted surgery, which, while more precise and quicker, would add an extra 50,000 to the total cost.

For a second opinion, we went back to the original doctor who had handled my mother’s hip replacement. After examining her, he concluded that she does not require surgery at this time.

My main question is about the robotic-assisted procedure. If it offers greater accuracy and speed, why does it come with a higher cost? Is this due to the expense of the robotic equipment itself, or because it’s a relatively new technology in the market?
 
The equipment, the training, the service agreements are astronomical. Easily the cost of studies for a few super specialists (over 10cr).

Hospital have robotic surgery not because it's better or makes financial sense, but because it's the fad and patients demand it. It's safer, but not necessarily better.

Personally, I would prefer it even knowing it's not as good as a skilled hand because there aren't many skilled surgeons these days. I'd want someone with at least 7 years of experience in surgery before I'd call them skilled. It's a bell curve, they start off sloppy, get pretty amazing, then age takes over.

Robotic surgery equipment takes away the uncertainty of where the surgeon is on that bell curve.
 
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