Looks like they pooped the bed again in Q1...

[Anonymous]

High BMI does not usually make for a complex da Vinci, unless the patient is in T-burg. It's actually easier, b/c you have more "real estate" to work w/ in placing your ports. Once inside, obese patients look no different than skinny patients. We recommend low BMI to start b/c those procedures will take longer, and those patients are obviously at a higher risk when under anesthesia for too long. Remember, the DOCTOR needs to make the clinical decision that if his patient is under for too long, he should probably make the executive decision to convert to open. Everyone keeps blaming Intuitive for these complications. No one blames the surgeon. This is NO different than the learning curve experienced when surgeons went from open to lap. No one complained then, b/c open procedures have higher complication rates than a patient who remains under anesthesia longer, but has an MIS lap procedure.

The FDA approves devices based on the population you specify. If it's all Americans, then you can't leave something to the discretion of the surgeon. You are supposed to provide testing to show that certain populations/situations are safe. If it's not, then you are supposed to provide warning. Intuitive has been riding on the coat tails of lap company's clinical work for so long that you don't have a clue how you are supposed to do things. You can't continue to justify 'well that company uses their lap instruments with that population' and not do the clinical research. Lap and robots are similar, but they are not the same.

 

[Anonymous]

The FDA approves devices based on the population you specify. If it's all Americans, then you can't leave something to the discretion of the surgeon. You are supposed to provide testing to show that certain populations/situations are safe. If it's not, then you are supposed to provide warning. Intuitive has been riding on the coat tails of lap company's clinical work for so long that you don't have a clue how you are supposed to do things. You can't continue to justify 'well that company uses their lap instruments with that population' and not do the clinical research. Lap and robots are similar, but they are not the same.

The only thing that is the same between laparoscopic and robotic are the outcomes.

 

[Anonymous]

How is that corporate team doing led by JB? Those ex haemonetics guys are really knocking it out of the park! Wooooo