Study: Hospital Claims of Superior Robotic Surgery Not Always Backed by Evidence

A Johns Hopkins study has found an estimated four in 10 hospital websites publicize robotic surgery and tout its clinical superiority despite a lack of scientific evidence that the method is better than conventional operations, according to a Johns Hopkins Medicine release.

Promotional materials overestimate the benefits of surgical robots, largely ignore risks and are strongly influenced by the product manufacturer. The study's authors say claims of superiority — such as smaller incisions, increased precision, reduced pain and shorter hospital stays — are unsubstantiated.

The team analyzed 400 randomly selected websites from U.S. hospitals of 200 beds or more. Researchers found 89 percent of the hospitals that described its availability of robotic surgery made statements of clinical superiority. The most common claims were less pain, shorter recovery, less scarring and less blood loss.

Read the release on the study of hospital websites and robotic surgery.

Related Articles on Robotic Surgery:
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Robot in Hospital OR Means Quicker Recovery Time, Less Invasive Surgery


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