Surgeon folds and throws the paper airplane using da Vinci Robot (video)

From Swedish Hospital YouTube channel: Dr. James Porter, Medical Director of robotic surgery at Swedish folds a paper airplane with the da Vinci robot to demonstrate how this device gives surgeons greater surgical precision and dexterity over existing approaches.

With over 600,000 views, this video brings no doubt good advertisement to the hospital.

However, the robot costs on average $ 1.30 million, in addition to several hundred thousand dollars in annual maintenance fees. Surgical procedures performed with the robot takes more than traditional ones. Critics say that hospitals have a hard time recovering the cost and that most clinical data does not support the claim of improved results for the patient.

The manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical has sold more than 1,000 units worldwide.

References:

Prepping robots to perform surgery, the New York Times, May 4, 2008.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Comments from Twitter:

Meenakshi Budhraja @ gastromom: Cool!

Westby Fisher, MD @ doctorwes: surgeon folds throwaway paper airplane using da Vinci Robot (video) bit.ly/KG2EG6-fast, no manual?

PDara MD, FACP @ JediPD: da Vinci good for that

Skeptical scalpel @ Skepticscalpel: Finally a use. Maybe the planes might have hospital's logo on them. Folding a paper airplane. Amazing feat of a surgical robot? Don't think. My blog. is.gd/6tBcZp-folding a paper airplane. Amazing feat from the surgical robot?  http://goo.gl/cz7lC

Ravi Pellini @ ravrav0: surgical robot: small folding paper airplanes-CHECK. Actually improve clinical results-TBD. bit.ly/LEp3jg # medtech

Jenaro Fdez-Valencia @ JenaroFV_MD: after all ... does not fly! If he did a boat, that would work. Can try?

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