Technological advancements in the field of medicine are allowing doctors to perform surgical procedures in a more efficient and less invasive manner; at least that is what the companies developing the technology would like the public to think. The Boston Product Liability Attorneys with Jason Stone Injury Lawyers explain several flaws in the approval and testing processes outlined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may be allowing unsafe products to be used on patients.
An article from Bloomberg News explains that a surgical robot manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., has been hailed as a cutting edge way to perform certain procedures, despite numerous reports of patient injury. While the device is used to perform more than 350,000 surgeries annually in the United States, more than 70 deaths have been attributed to its use since 2009.
These deaths, topped by even more reports of patient injuries, prompted the FDA to issue a warning letter regarding the use of the robot to perform certain medical procedures. Despite these warnings, the number of doctors and patients electing the use of surgical robots continues to increase.
Experts attribute this trend to a massive and aggressive marketing effort being made by companies manufacturing these products.
Jason Stone’s team of Boston Personal Injury Lawyers recognizes the serious dangers posed by the use of robots during surgeries and encourages anyone who has been injured during such a procedure to discuss their legal rights with an attorney immediately.