Surgery can be scary, but what if you were told a robot would be performing your surgery? Yes, that's right. A robot. At first you might think the idea is preposterous, but robotic surgery is proving to successfully address the desire for greater automation in the healthcare industry. As the field of surgery experiences a great wave of change, thanks to incredible advances in surgical and computer technology, robotic surgery is likely to become the standard in care.

Now, stop picturing Rosie from the Jetsons or Johnny 5. The 'robots' being used in surgery just look like a complicated machine. They are finding application particulary in minimally invasive procedures, across many fields, such as neurology, orthopedics, urology, and gynecology. Robotic surgery can offer stable, skillful and precise assistance to human surgeons. They also offer advantages to patients, in the form of less blood loss and muscle damage, less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery. For more details check out this article from RBR or this article from Mayoclinic.

If a robot performing surgery leaves you incredulous, check out our recent article about some other controversial roles robots are taking on these days.