What if you could have a major surgery with only a short hospital stay, very little pain, low risk of infection, little blood loss, minimal scarring, and a fast recovery and return to normal daily activities?
Such a scenario is becoming increasingly possible thanks to the developing field of medical robotics and the increasing use of robots in surgical procedures. By using robots, surgeons can perform complex operations more easily and precisely, and in a less invasive way that improves results for patients.
Wow.
not only that but raspy says a surgeon could operate on you from another consonant
What if you could have a major surgery with only a short hospital stay, very little pain, low risk of infection, little blood loss, minimal scarring, and a fast recovery and return to normal daily activities?
Such a scenario is becoming increasingly possible thanks to the developing field of medical robotics and the increasing use of robots in surgical procedures. By using robots, surgeons can perform complex operations more easily and precisely, and in a less invasive way that improves results for patients.
What if you could have a major surgery with only a short hospital stay, very little pain, low risk of infection, little blood loss, minimal scarring, and a fast recovery and return to normal daily activities?
Such a scenario is becoming increasingly possible thanks to the developing field of medical robotics and the increasing use of robots in surgical procedures. By using robots, surgeons can perform complex operations more easily and precisely, and in a less invasive way that improves results for patients.
"Robotics is an extension of laparoscopic surgery," said Dr. Surena Matin, an associate professor in the department of urology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Matin also is medical director of MINTOS - the Minimally Invasive New Technology in Oncologic Surgery Collaborative Group at M.D. Anderson. "The improvement over laparoscopic techniques comes in terms of improving the surgeon's visibility and dexterity. Surgeons don't have to remove their eyes from the scene of surgery, and they have more range of motion through the wrists of the device than through scopes. (Laparoscopy) is like operating with chopsticks compared to the dexterity of the microwrists on the robotic system."
At least two of the most advanced surgical robotics systems are in use in the Houston area. Surgeons at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital recently began using the da Vinci Si Surgical System robot to perform procedures in urogynecology, gynecology, oncology and general surgery. St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital has added the same system to its suite of robotics technology to perform urological and gynecological procedures, and perhaps procedures for ear nose, throat and abdominal specialties in the future.
Dr. Nina Dereska, a surgeon at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, has been using the da Vinci robotic systems for surgeries since 2009. The system allows for more surgical options with certain patients for whom traditional surgery presents a problem.
"With robotic surgery, small mechanical arms are inserted into the patient through tiny incisions," she explained. "Surgeons will be able to control the robotic movements, or the arms, through special hand and foot controls at a console several feet away from the operating table." The robot translates the surgeon's hand, wrist and finger movements at the control console into corresponding micro movements of the instrument's tip.
In other words, the robot can be set to scale down surgeon's movements so that a 1-inch movement on the surgeon's finger becomes a movement of only a fraction of an inch at the tip of the robotic instrument. Similar movements also control the camera to allow the surgeon to see inside the patient's body. The surgeon, sitting at the console, is able to continuously view the scene of surgery and perform highly precise surgical movements without nearly as much fatigue as in traditional surgical procedures, including "straight-stick" laparoscopy.
"Straight-stick surgery is hard on the body - my elbows are up in the air, my shoulders are hunched; it's very fatiguing," Dereska said. "Robotics surgery is much easier on the surgeon, which translates to being better for the patient."
Surgeons at the Methodist Hospital recently became the first to use the Magellan Robotic System to treat patients with peripheral vascular disease. "This new intravascular robotic system represents a fundamental step forward in the transformation of vascular intervention," said Dr. Alan Lumsden, chair of the department of cardiovascular surgery and medical director of the Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center. "It allows us to offer less invasive endovascular options to a broader group of patients suffering from complex vascular disease."
The system allows a surgeon to more precisely steer a catheter inside and around blood vessels. Lumsden said it can be used for any procedure involving complex catheterization and will be especially useful in lower-extremity arterial interventions and branched endografts. In addition, the technology will help reduce both the procedure time and radiation exposure.
The chief drawback of robotics in surgery is the lack of haptic feedback - the ability surgeons have to visualize in their mind what they are feeling with their hands. "We don't have our fingerpads to feel and guide, so we have to learn with our eyes to see how the tissue reacts in order to get a 'feel' for it," Matin said. "This is more of an issue for late-stage cancers where the tactile feedback plays a heavier role in determining where to cut."
Increasingly, surgeons are being trained to use robotic systems in various specialty areas. Peter Herrera directs the Memorial Hermann Surgical Innovation and Robotics Institute in the Texas Medical Center. "The institute has trained numerous robotics surgical teams from around the country since we first opened in 2003," he said. "We are the largest training site for robotic surgery in the nation and the only one in the southwest USA."
Don't let the Koch bros. off too easily. We all are responsible for our behavior. But yes, it's a fine idea (democracy, pursuit of happiness, individual freedom, and on) that has been co-opted, over time, by those more adept and eager to game the system. Thus we are, in a large sense, screwed until a critical mass of the population demands real change.
i personally and/or intentionally don't lobby anyone for the purpose of coercion, threat of force or force
my decision to interact with the koch brothers (or others) is voluntary
if they (or others) offer a product or service that i want/need i can choose to do business with them or not
it is my choice (or if the roles were reversed, they with me)
however if they bribe (lobby) a rule maker (politician) to make a rule that forces or coerces me in any way and that rule is backed up by armed gangs of the state, then i have a big problem with that
there's nothing voluntary about that (or it's force), thus it can't be moral or ethical
corporations (which i'm not a fan of, but that's another story) are simply playing by the political rules passed by politicians
the corruption (co-opting) of the system is laid squarely at feet of those sworn to protect and preserve it
corporations aren't elected and they don't take an oath or swear in on the constitution
without a corrupt rule maker the koch brothers are practically void
Location: Condo in Gaza needs remodeling. Still, I Thank TFSM I saw the divot where the landmine was placed. Gender: Zodiac: Chinese Yr:
Posted:
Mar 9, 2013 - 9:41am
miamizsun wrote:
the koch brothers aren't the problem
some of their responsive behavior may be undesirable to some
any political action taken by them is only a symptom or reaction to a corrupt political system
the koch brothers aren't evil, they're simply responding (or playing by the rules) of that corrupt political system
your politicians (the rule makers that are openly corrupt and easily bribed) are the source of the problem
regards
Don't let the Koch bros. off too easily. We all are responsible for our behavior. But yes, it's a fine idea (democracy, pursuit of happiness, individual freedom, and on) that has been co-opted, over time, by those more adept and eager to game the system. Thus we are, in a large sense, screwed until a critical mass of the population demands real change.
there's no difference between the vast majority of these politicians
corruption doesn't care about labels
what's worse is that people and politicians have a hallucination that by using a system that's horribly corrupt that they'll produced virtuous/ethical/good results
it's like running east looking for a sunset...
peace
hippiechick
Did you ever grow anything in the garden of your mind?
Location: topsy turvy land Gender: Zodiac: Chinese Yr:
If, or when, you had a car payment, the credit providing institution didn't restrict significantly how you used your car. Same with the house I previously owned.
It's interesting that you mention that, because there's a trend towards private businesses being more intrusive into your business as a condition of the deal. Right now it's limited to making it mandatory for the car or home owner to keep up full insurance coverage for as long as the bank holds the title, and devices that monitor your driving habits in exchange for the possibility of lower car insurance rates. There are also more insidious devices like the secret "black boxes" that are in most newer cars that could be used as evidence against you if you get into a crash. The problem is that nobody's negotiating on behalf of the car owner/drivers, as was done with the black boxes on airliners. And those insurance devices are black boxes too.
How would you like it if your insurance company denied you coverage, claiming that the black box said that you were driving recklessly, and because it's their property you can't get a second opinion or defend yourself against the charge? The GOPs keep on saying that "big government" equals Big Brother, and that private business is the knight in shining armor. The truth is completely different. Without regulation, Big Business becomes every bit as powerful as a big government. The main difference is that you have no representation with Big Business.
Do you propose we privatize roads, the fire department or every school? The armed forces?
Already done. Gulf War II relied heavily on companies like Halliburton and Blackwater to provide high-paid mercenaries to supplement the CIA and regular armies. (It was the first time the CIA got into the soldiering business.) Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley sold the Chicago Skyway (a toll road) to a private business that collects tolls, and even has a private police force of people who aren't sworn peace officers, but wield police powers. How would you like to be at the mercy of a rent-a-cop with no laws to protect you?
Fire and ambulance services are mostly departments of government right now, but it wasn't always the case. Private ambulance services never went away, in fact. With governments cutting more and more services, it's not unthinkable that fire fighting could once again become a private enterprise.
Few people actually know, factually, what TARP was and did. It was very complex with the usual corruption and flaws as well as major and significant benefits.
And the strong possibility that we'll be repeating the same bailouts because the tea baggers nixed the reforms and regulations that could have brought the banker-gamblers back down to earth. Because the bank CEOs got record high bonuses instead of prison sentences, the whole problem still remains. But now they know that they can do it all over again, and expect Uncle Sam to come to their rescue when their luck runs out again.
hippiechick
Did you ever grow anything in the garden of your mind?
Location: topsy turvy land Gender: Zodiac: Chinese Yr:
Location: Condo in Gaza needs remodeling. Still, I Thank TFSM I saw the divot where the landmine was placed. Gender: Zodiac: Chinese Yr:
Posted:
Nov 19, 2012 - 8:51am
kurtster wrote:
Several years ago I tried to make the point that the central bank ( the Fed ) via .gov and Freddie and Fannie now directly hold the notes of 60% of the real estate in this country. The .gov / central bank is the biggest landlord in this country. This is socialism through the back door.
Socialism is the government ownership of private property to put it loosely. It has already happened. TARP was the legalization of it all. The Fed is buying all of our country's debt that cannot be sold to other countries and will eventually own our ,gov, lock, stock and barrel.
When the collapse comes, the central banks will say we hold all the notes and are repossesing your country, we are your new owners / masters / government.
C'mon, Freddie and Fannie don't own property, they guarantee loans. If, or when, you had a car payment, the credit providing institution didn't restrict significantly how you used your car. Same with the house I previously owned. Couldn't have bought it w/o government loan backing. But in no way did I ever feel I was not the landlord, though I was always aware it was collateral and I had to make payments, as I was when I had car payments.
Socialism/capitalism hybrid has been here since.... well, it's inherent in elements of Constitutional Amendments and explicit in lots of past and passed legislation. Do you propose we privatize roads, the fire department or every school? The armed forces?
Socialism, imo, in and of itself is not a terrible thing and is so often demonized (as "communism" was/is). It is simply susceptible to the flaws all forms of governments are. We have already had that hybrid for 200+ years. I submit that pure capitalism has never existed in the history of the USA.
Repossessing the country? You've drank the kool-aid, imo. That phrase, as a potential reality, imo, borders somewhere between absurd and fantastic. Not YOU, but the remark.
Few people actually know, factually, what TARP was and did. It was very complex with the usual corruption and flaws as well as major and significant benefits.
Location: Back in Ohiya, for now ... Gender: Zodiac: Chinese Yr:
Posted:
Nov 18, 2012 - 4:54pm
miamizsun wrote:
snip ...
so when you reach the point of collapse i take your assets (or come for my pound of flesh - the interest you owe me)
you could repay all of the money that has been paid to you, which would be the only way to eliminate the interest charges
but that would be impossible and it would leave no money (of yours) in circulation
would you voluntarily work for or in a system like this?
immediately you'd see the insanity of such relationship and would never go for it
but that is in essence what is happening on global scale
your government's banking system works like this and your social contract puts you and yours on the hook forever
regards
Several years ago I tried to make the point that the central bank ( the Fed ) via .gov and Freddie and Fannie now directly hold the notes of 60% of the real estate in this country. The .gov / central bank is the biggest landlord in this country. This is socialism through the back door.
Socialism is the government ownership of private property to put it loosely. It has already happened. TARP was the legalization of it all. The Fed is buying all of our country's debt that cannot be sold to other countries and will eventually own our ,gov, lock, stock and barrel.
When the collapse comes, the central banks will say we hold all the notes and are repossesing your country, we are your new owners / masters / government.
Location: Condo in Gaza needs remodeling. Still, I Thank TFSM I saw the divot where the landmine was placed. Gender: Zodiac: Chinese Yr:
Posted:
Nov 18, 2012 - 2:05pm
miamizsun wrote:
... RP didn't transfer your post...
I'll get off the treadmill by simply saying some elements of your commentary are spot-on, but others are open to question, imo.
Little doubt, universal HC, should it ever happen, would be revolutionary, not a step-by-step evolution. But a small possibility exists for it to be dramatically legislated as were the Civil Rights Act and other landmark legislation. The lower costs of UHC would enter into ameliorating, though not likely dispensing with, the financial points you make. WAAAAAY too much of our GDP compared to the rest of the developed world is spent on HC. But the rest of the "west" faces severe problems of their own.
That said, overall I am a pessimist on issues of all kinds facing our current and next few generations—simply bcs the planet is now way beyond its healthy carrying capacity, imo. A cascade of problems await us. Those problems trump everything else. The planet will eventually provide a "correcting mechanism" to reachieve the equilibrium that inevitably will be re-established. Do we have input into what that "correcting mechanism" is? Open question, but my guess is little or none.
Debt & runaway inflation (print more money -the only cure, most recent example that comes to mind is Argentina—but there are countless other examples) are so, so, linked, as you allude.
Good points. I am suggesting we undertake a major overhaul of the HC system. Probably will take a generation and several steps.
Miamizsun makes good points when applied to a status quo system. I propose a major change in HC delivery. It will result in a lower % of GDP devoted to HC. Insurance companies and big pharma will fight it all the way. That's why it will take so long....if it happens at all.
we talk about reform, but we (the country) are never realistic about it
we're taught/conditioned to buy into the political rhetoric and we base our reality on such feel good language, but the true disconnect from that and what is real or true is an enormous gulf
it's like government math exists in another universe were up means down, black means white or some perverted distortion of what we really know
if anyone (and this is a brutal wake up call for most) looks at our financial situation and uses their calculator, they see it is irrefutably impossible to borrow and spend or tax and spend our way out of this
it ain't gonna happen, ever
we should look at history and see what happened in the past when this scenario played out
at least we'd have an idea of what to expect
our system isn't broken, it's deeply flawed and corrupt, and for us to pretend that using such a system to solve any problems, social or otherwise is a fool's game
a few politicians on top will use force and violence to try and control this nasty collapse and transition to a "system reset or reboot" and promise to never do this type of thing again
yet they'll control the money, the military/police and the training/schooling and repeat this whole scenario again
we're literally forced to re-up in another bad cycle of human farming
