In a tragic turn of events, a surgical robot has been implicated in a lawsuit for causing severe injury leading to the death of a 78-year-old Florida resident, according to court documents. Sandra Sultzer of Boca Raton tragically passed away in 2022 following complications that arose after a robotic-assisted surgery to address her colon cancer in September 2021.
The high-tech procedure was conducted using the ‘da Vinci’ robot, a modern surgical system designed to facilitate complex surgeries with precision. Utilizing this system, a physician controls a camera while a surgeon manipulates the robot’s four arms via a console equipped with a joystick and foot pedals. This minimally invasive method typically lessens blood loss and reduces trauma to the body compared to traditional open surgery, offering smaller incisions about the size of a dime.
However, according to the filed lawsuit, the ‘da Vinci’ system malfunctioned when stray electrical energy, intended to cut body tissue during surgery, reportedly leaked and inadvertently burned Sandra Sultzer’s small intestine. The ensuing internal leak proved fatal. Assertions within the lawsuit suggest that the robot’s arms, normally insulated by rubber sleeves to prevent such leaks, had cracks through which electricity escaped.
Notably, the alleged electrical arcing that caused the burn occurred outside of the operating team’s visual field and was undetected during the procedure. The husband’s legal action cites that this is not an isolated incident, pointing to thousands of injury and defect reports received by the device’s manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical Inc.
The operation took place at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, where surgeons utilized the aforementioned robot, a standalone unit with four operational arms. These arms are manipulated by surgeons who manually engage the machine through hand loops at a console, conducting surgical tasks with instruments such as forceps, scissors, and scalpels.
This case has shed light on potential risks associated with robotic surgical technology and has raised concerns about the safety mechanisms in place to protect patients during these advanced surgeries. As the lawsuit proceeds, it challenges the reliability and oversight of cutting-edge surgical robotics. The hospital and manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical Inc., have yet to release public statements regarding the case.
