The future of robotics in healthcare: surgery, telehealth and Covid-19

Posted: 18/03/2021

Although it sounds futuristic, robotics, or machines that undertake tasks traditionally performed by humans, have been used in surgery since the 1980s and can drastically reduce the need for contact between patients and their healthcare providers. The Covid-19 pandemic has driven a clinical requirement for limited physical contact and therefore may hasten the advancements already being made in the field of robotics.

In robotically-assisted surgery, instead of the surgeon moving their instruments by hand, they use a remote manipulator or computer to control robotic arms. The surgeon performs the necessary motions which are then carried out by the robotic instruments. The benefits of this are that the surgery can be steadier, more precise and less invasive, with smaller incisions, reduced blood loss and scarring, and quicker healing. However, it can be expensive and requires the surgeon to have undergone specific training. Of course, no surgery is risk-free and complications can still arise in the same ways as with traditional surgery.

Robotics can be of assistance in a wide range of different surgical areas and procedures. The first surgical robots were designed to help reposition patients during orthopaedic surgery. Nowadays, they are also used for brain biopsy, cholecystectomy, coronary artery bypass, organ transplants, cutting away cancer tissue and many other operations.

The use of robotics in surgery allows for indirect contact between the surgeon and patient and therefore reduces the risk of spreading viruses such as Covid-19. Telesurgery, where a surgeon actually operates on the patient remotely, is a far less mainstream idea but may play a large part in the future of healthcare. Robotic tools allow surgeons to perform operations remotely as there is no practical reason why the surgeon and the robotic instruments need to be in the same room, or even the same country, but there are numerous practical, technological and safety precautions that would require consideration before this could take place as standard. There would also be financial implications, as robotic surgery is more expensive than traditional surgeries.

The potential for the role of robotics in public health has been increasingly recognised over the past 12 months, as the need for reduced physical contact in healthcare settings has meant that the demand for, and provision of, ‘telehealth’, such as remote GP appointments, has surged rapidly. Before March 2020, much of the population had never had a GP appointment via a video call, but this experience is now far more common. Even when Covid-19 is no longer a major concern, many patients may feel safer and more comfortable having remote appointments where possible in order to lower their risk of spreading or catching other illnesses by attending their GP practice in person. This also lessens the GP or other healthcare provider’s exposure as well, reducing their chances of becoming unwell. Of course, for some appointments, an in-person examination will be necessary, but in general society appears to be receptive to other options in light of the pandemic.

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