Robot Hysterectomy Lawsuit

In recent years, tens of thousands of women have decided to have a robot hysterectomy with the Da Vinci Surgical Robot. Unfortunately, a growing number have suffered serious injuries involving surgical errors, mechanical malfunctions, and more. Our lawyers are concerned that women are being misled by aggressive marketing into choosing a costly medical procedure with a risk of devastating side effects.

UPDATE: Morcellators Increase Robot Hysterectomy Cancer Risk

November 5, 2014 — Doctors are warning that women who undergo a hysterectomy or fibroid surgery with the Da Vinci Surgical Robot are usually treated with a morcellator, which is a surgical tool that can potentially spread undiagnosed cancer. Click here to read more.

Problems with a Robot Hysterectomy

The popularity of the Da Vinci Surgical Robot in hysterectomies (surgery to remove the uterus) has grown dramatically in recent years, with 9.5% of all hysterectomies performed with a robot in 2010. Today, tens of thousands of women are choosing robot technology instead of traditional surgery because they are told that it is safer, less painful, with a faster recovery and less chance of complications.

Although these marketing claims are valid when a robot hysterectomy is compared to “open” surgery involving a large abdominal incisions, they are not so clear when a robot hysterectomy is compared to a modern, non-robotic, minimally-invasive technique called laparoscopy that involves a small vaginal incision and no abdominal incisions. The use of a robot may introduce additional risks and costs with no additional benefit.

According to Dr. James T. Beeden, who published this editorial on March 2013 to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:

“Robotic surgery is not the only or the best minimally invasive approach for hysterectomy. … Aggressive direct-to-consumer marketing of the latest medical technologies may mislead the public into believing that they are the best choice.”

When women are misled by “aggressive” marketing, they may fail to realize that a new technology is not necessarily the best technology. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved robot surgery in 2000, it has been associated with injuries including surgical errors, mechanical malfunctions, burns, electrocutions, and more.

In addition to concerns about marketing and injuries, there is also concern about added cots. In a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in February 2013, a robot hysterectomy was $2,200 more expensive than non-robotic surgery, but provided no additional benefit for patient outcome.

Robot Hysterectomy Lawsuit

Our lawyers are concerned because a growing number of women have reported serious injuries following a robotic hysterectomy. Many robot hysterectomy lawsuits have already been filed alleging that Intuitive Surgical failed to adequately train their surgeon or warn them about the potential risks.

Your robot hysterectomy lawsuit could be compensated for:

• Pain and suffering
• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost income or employment
• Disability or long-term injuries
• Wrongful death of your loved one
• Punitive damages against Intuitive Surgical

Robot Hysterectomy Injuries

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Da Vinci Surgical Robot in 2000, they have received more than 4,600 adverse event reports involving everything from life-threatening injuries to harmless malfunctions. Some of the most severe injuries have been associated with surgeons who testified that they were certified to use the Da Vinci robot after only one day of training.

Robot hysterectomy injuries have been reported to include:

• Surgical errors
• Mechanical malfunctions
• Burns and electrocutions
• Lacerations
• Organ damage
• Bleeding
• Punctured blood vessels, intestines, ureter, etc.
• Septic shock
• Additional surgery
• Death