FEATURE-Robodoc: Surgeon of The Future In Theatres Now

Mon Nov 3, 2008 7:04pm EST

Tens of thousands of prostate, heart and other procedures are already being performed by robots, and experts predict machines will be used to penetrate deeper into ailing bodies in the years ahead.

In a university laboratory behind London's Science Museum, researchers are working on a new generation of hi-tech gadgets to take minimally invasive robotic surgery to the next level.

The prospect of robot arms probing into the abdomen may be alarming but their precision can mean less trauma, quicker recovery, a shorter stay in hospital and reduced tissue damage.

Among men needing prostate operations -- the biggest group to go under the robotic knife at present -- that means less risk of impotence, according to doctors who use the devices.{Read More....}

Article Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLO66093520081104