The introduction of a new technology in a consolidated field has the potential to disrupt usual practices and create a fertile ground for errors. An example is robotic surgery that is now used in most surgical specialties, pushed by technology developers and enthusiastic surgeons. To analyze the potential impact of robotic surgery on patient safety, a consortium of major European Universities started the project SAFROS whose findings are summarized and further elaborated in the three parts of this book. Part one describes safety in complex systems such as surgery, how this may disrupt the traditional surgical workflow, how safety can be monitored, and the research questions that must be posed. Part two of the book describes the main findings of this research, by identifying the risks of robotic surgery and by describing where its ancillary technologies may fail. This part addresses features and evaluation of anatomic imaging and modeling, actions in the operating room, robot monitoring and control, operator interface, and surgical training. Part three of the book draws the conclusions and offers suggestions on how to limit the risks of medical errors. One possible approach is to use automation to monitor and execute parts of an intervention, thus suggesting that robotics and artificial intelligence will be major elements of the operating room of the future.

Minimally invasive surgery has impacted the outcomes of surgery more than any technology since the development of sterile technique. The hard science has demonstrated that decrease in wound complications and recovery time has created the biggest gap with open approaches to surgery. The total economic benefit may be unfathomable when looked at comprehensively. Integral to the rise of minimal access and therapeutic techniques in surgery has been the growth of technological improvements over time. Beginning with insufflators, videoscopy, and energy devices, that evolution has continued into the development of tele-surgical devices that feature full articulation of instruments, high-resolution 3-D optics, and computer assisted movement. This has come with controversy – as the dominant manufacturer of robotic assisted devices, Intuitive Surgical, and their generations of da Vinci surgical platforms, holds enough market share to spur cries of monopoly and financial excess. However, with over 3000 world-wide systems in use, and over 6000 peer-reviewed research articles, the impact of robotic surgery cannot be ignored. The current state of data suggests equivalency in most procedures with regard to traditional outcome measures, equal or somewhat elevated costs, with specific areas of superiority. The first section of this textbook, Surgical Robots, covers the history, economics, training, and medico-legal aspects of robotic surgery that will be of interest to students, residents, fellows, surgical staff, and administrators or public health specialists who seek to gain a comprehensive background on robotic surgery, or justification for purchasing a robotic system for their institution. Surgeons will also find this background valuable to their practice, to give context to their procedures so they can better counsel their patients, help with advocating for robotic platform purchases, and proactively prepare themselves for medico-legal issues. The chapter on legal issues will have specific instances of robotic surgery-related lawsuits and their outcomes, a first for robotic surgery texts. The second section of this textbook, Robotic Procedures, will contain a comprehensive catalogue of procedures that have been performed robotically in general surgery, gynecology, urology, plastic surgery, cardiothoracic, and otolaryngology. Each author will cover the existing literature, preoperative planning, room and patient setup, steps of the procedure, and postoperative care. Standardized room maps and port placement will help the student, resident, fellow, surgeon or OR Staff to quickly reference these before cases. Each chapter will also cover the specific equipment needs and expected complexity of the procedures, allowing administrators to better gauge how to prepare for, or ration, use or their robotic resources. The final section, Future of Robotics, will give the entire scope of audience a look into what exciting advancements in the field are on the horizon. This textbook is a complete resource for robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery, covering the history, current state, technical and clinical aspects, and future considerations that may be of interest to any who has a role, stake, or curiosity regarding robotic surgery.

Robotics began as a science fiction creation which has become quite real, first in assembly line operations such as automobile manufacturing, airplane construction etc. They have now reached such areas as the ever-multiplying - medical field. Robotic surgery is now becoming highly practised in open heart, lung, and other forms of surgery. This book covers the developing stages of robotic surgery and its expectations in the medical field.

This book presents a practical approach to patient safety issues with a focus on evolution and understanding the key concepts in health care and turning them into implementable actions. With its contemporary approach and lucid presentation, this book is a valuable resource for practicing doctors in medicine and surgery to treat their patients with care, diligence and vigilance and contribute to a safer practice in health care.

The Robotics Program: A How-to-Guide for Physician Leaders on Starting Up a Successful Program builds on the concept that successful programs can be differentiated from unsuccessful programs by seven core elements. Dr. Loftus describes his personal journey as a physician executive in developing a surgical robotics program for a large healthcare system. He demonstrates how to incorporate the seven core elements in the development, implementation and sustainability of a robotics program. Reader Comments: "It was truly outstanding and an interesting read. I think it's a great guide for any physician trying to lead a robotics program." "I've finished reading your book, and I found it amazing. I think it's not only a guide for starting a robotic program, but also a guide for starting any program." "I will use all the tips you give for leadership .... It was an inspiring reading."

This is a brief study of how human factors engineers have worked with medical personnel to improve patient safety and reduce medical error in the newest minimally invasive surgical procedures (laparoscopy, angioplasty, colonoscopy, etc).

Despite the evolution and growing awareness of patient safety, many medical professionals are not a part of this important conversation. Clinicians often believe they are too busy taking care of patients to adopt and implement patient safety initiatives and that acknowledging medical errors is an affront to their skills. Patient Safety provides clinicians with a better understanding of the prevalence, causes and solutions for medical errors; bringing best practice principles to the bedside. Written by experts from a variety of backgrounds, each chapter features an analysis of clinical cases based on the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) methodology, along with case-based discussions on various patient safety topics. The systems and processes outlined in the book are general and broadly applicable to institutions of all sizes and structures. The core ethic of medical professionals is to “do no harm”. Patient Safety is a comprehensive resource for physicians, nurses and students, as well as healthcare leaders and administrators for identifying, solving and preventing medical error.