Since its introduction in the 1990s, some 2000 robots have been sold in the U.S. for procedures ranging from head and neck surgery to routine hysterectomies. Although a robot provides a benefit in some operations, it is being used for procedures where there are no advantages and there may be added risks. As study of more than 250,000 hysterectomies performed with a robot had no better outcomes and the surgery takes longer and is more expensive. Reviews of studies on other operations including gallbladder, colorectal surgery, and procedures for reverse reflux have reached similar conclusions.
