Robotic surgery is more common than you think. Procedures such as LASIK to improve vision are mostly computer-driven. Many routine surgeries now use the Da Vinci robot system manufactured by Intuitive surgical. Hysterectomies are a common surgery now performed using Da Vinci. Others include Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for head and neck cancer (FDA-approved since 2009) Radical prostatectomy, pyeloplasty, cystectomy, nephrectomy, and ureteral reimplantation; Myomectomy and sacrocolpopexy; Hiatal hernia repair The robot basically assists the doctor rather than doing the whole surgery. It improves their accuracy and fine motor skills during the procedures to improve outcomes and reduce risk. The NY times recently examined Robotic surgery. Check out what they had to say The Robot Surgeon Will See You Now Real scalpels, artificial intelligence — what could go wrong? By Cade Metz April 30, 2021 Sitting on a stool several feet from a long-armed robot, Dr. Danyal Fer wrapped his fingers around two metal handles near his chest. As he moved the handles — up and down, left and right — the robot mimicked each small motion with its own two arms. Then, when he pinched his thumb and forefinger together, one of the robot’s tiny claws did much the same. This is how surgeons like Dr. Fer have long used robots when operating on patients. They can remove a prostate from a patient while sitting at a computer console across the room. But after this brief demonstration, Dr. Fer and his fellow researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, showed how they hope to advance the state of the art. Dr. Fer let go of the handles, and a new kind of computer software took over. As he and the other researchers looked on, the robot started to move entirely on its own. Read more