Patient Safety | 02.19.24
Robotic Device Burned a Woman’s Small Intestine During Surgery, Lawsuit Alleges
by NAMSS Staff
NBC News (02/08/24) Bendix, Aria
According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this month in Florida, a robotic device known as the da Vinci burned and tore a woman's small intestine while she was undergoing surgery for colon cancer. Sandra Sultzer developed abdominal pain and fever after her September 2021 surgery and needed additional procedures to close the tear, the lawsuit charges. The suit went on to state that Sultzer died the following February as a result of the small intestine injury. Her husband, Harvey Sultzer, is the plaintiff. He is suing the maker of the device, Intuitive Surgical, for damages alleging that it was aware the robot had insulation problems and failed to disclose that risk to the public. The suit further claims Intuitive sells its robots to hospitals that have no robotic surgery experience and does not properly train surgeons on how to use the device.
Read more.