Surgical robots are quickly revolutionizing the way certain surgeries are performed. On Nov. 21 during BWH Research Day, BWH Chair of Surgery Michael Zinner, MD; Antonio Gargiulo, MD, medical director of the Center for Robotic Surgery; and Steven Chang, MD, MS, of Urology, discussed the benefits and costs of robotic surgery, as well as the impact that robotics have had on surgery since being approved by the FDA. Zinner detailed the ingenuity of robotic instruments, which can bend and curve to adapt to the individual patient, as opposed to inflexible instruments used in traditional minimally invasive surgery.

“We need to demonstrate value for any tools we use,” said Gargiulo during his presentation. Chang explained how robotics makes complex laparoscopic surgery easier and has led to better patient-centered care.