Pediatric Robotic Surgery in South America: Advantages and Difficulties in Program Implementation

Frontiers in Pediatrics

article

Juan M. Moldes¹  Francisco Ignacio de Badiola¹  Roberto Luis Vagni¹  Pedro Mercado¹  Virginia Tuchbaum¹  Marcos G. Machado²  Pedro José López³ 

[1] Department Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires;Department of Urology, Universidade de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas;Department Pediatric Urology, Hospital Exequiel Gonzalez Cortés y Clínica Alemana

关键词: robotic surgery;    pediatric;    minimally invasive surgery;    pediatric urology;    South America;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fped.2019.00094

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery is gaining popularity around the world due to its vast benefits. Although it has been established mainly in developed countries, in South America the robotic programs have become more popular, but its growth is clearly slower. Information about robotic pediatric surgery program in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina was collected through e-mail surveys. Results were analyzed and compared to worldwide information about robotic surgery. Due to the wide social, economical, and technological gap between hospitals in South America, it is hard to develop a proper pediatric robotic surgery program. The main obstacles in those four countries appear to be a combination of high purchase costs and equipment maintenance, lack of financial coverage of the procedure by insurance companies and the absence of significant benefits proved in pediatrics in relation to laparoscopic surgery. The pediatric specialties are in the process of making and implementing robotic programs supported by the evident development in adult specialties. However, pediatric robotic surgery in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina do not seems to share that growth.

【 授权许可】

CC BY