Harvey Sultzer, a US-based grieving widower, is suing the medical giant Intuitive Surgical (IS) seeking over $75,000 in damages for his wife's death.

He claims that his wife Sandra Sultzer's death was caused by the surgical robot da Vinci. As per Sultzer, the robot inadvertently burned a hole in Sandra's organs during a procedure, ultimately leading to her demise.&nbsp;

<h2>What happened?</h2>

As per a New York Post report, in September 2021, Sandra underwent treatment for her colon cancer at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The surgery was done using the da Vinci robot.&nbsp;

The surgical robot is marketed for its unparalleled precision "beyond the limits of the human hand" and minimally invasive nature, "designed to provide surgeons with natural dexterity while operating through small incisions".

However, according to the lawsuit, this very device burned a catastrophic hole in Sandra's small intestine, which made additional medical interventions necessary.

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As per the lawsuit, after the procedures, Sandra continued to suffer from abdominal pain and fever, right until she died.

The lawsuit further accuses IS of withholding critical information about the robot's insulation issues, which were flagged in an FDA investigation spanning 2009 to 2011.

It alleges that despite knowing the potential for the device to cause internal organ burns, IS allegedly failed to disclose this risk to both the Sultzer family and the wider public.&nbsp;

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that IS has received numerous reports of injuries and defects related to the surgical robot but has "systematically underreported" these to the FDA.

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<h2>Legal woes</h2>

The legal woes of IS, as per the report, are not new. Previous financial reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed that the company was involved in approximately 93 lawsuits in 2014.

These lawsuits alleged "that they or a family member underwent surgical procedures that utilised the da Vinci Surgical System and sustained a variety of personal injuries and, in some cases, death as a result of such surgery."

The lawsuit also takes aim at IS's business practices, criticising the company for selling its robots to hospitals lacking experience in robotic surgery and says that the company fails to adequately train surgeons on how to operate the da Vinci device. While IS does offer a training programme, a 2018 NBC News investigation revealed that the company cannot legally compel surgeons to complete it.

(With inputs from agencies)

Harvey Sultzer, a US-based grieving widower, is suing the medical giant Intuitive Surgical (IS) seeking over $75,000 in damages for his wife's death. He claims that his wife Sandra Sultzer's death was caused by the surgical robot da Vinci.

Harvey Sultzer, a US-based grieving widower, is suing the medical giant Intuitive Surgical (IS) seeking over $75,000 in damages for his wife's death. He claims that his wife Sandra Sultzer's death was caused by the surgical robot da Vinci. As per Sultzer, the robot inadvertently burned a hole in Sandra's organs during a procedure, ultimately leading to her demise. What happened? As per a New York Post report, in September 2021, Sandra underwent treatment for her colon cancer at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The surgery was done using the da Vinci robot. The surgical robot is marketed for its unparalleled precision "beyond the limits of the human hand" and minimally invasive nature, "designed to provide surgeons with natural dexterity while operating through small incisions". However, according to the lawsuit, this very device burned a catastrophic hole in Sandra's small intestine, which made additional medical interventions necessary. Also read | Explained | What is ‘cyber flashing’? UK man becomes first to be convicted of the crime in England and Wales As per the lawsuit, after the procedures, Sandra continued to suffer from abdominal pain and fever, right until she died. The lawsuit further accuses IS of withholding critical information about the robot's insulation issues, which were flagged in an FDA investigation spanning 2009 to 2011. It alleges that despite knowing the potential for the device to cause internal organ burns, IS allegedly failed to disclose this risk to both the Sultzer family and the wider public. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that IS has received numerous reports of injuries and defects related to the surgical robot but has "systematically underreported" these to the FDA. Also read | Watch | Polar bears may be dying of starvation, rare footage provides some insight Legal woes The legal woes of IS, as per the report, are not new. Previous financial reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed that the company was involved in approximately 93 lawsuits in 2014. These lawsuits alleged "that they or a family member underwent surgical procedures that utilised the da Vinci Surgical System and sustained a variety of personal injuries and, in some cases, death as a result of such surgery." The lawsuit also takes aim at IS's business practices, criticising the company for selling its robots to hospitals lacking experience in robotic surgery and says that the company fails to adequately train surgeons on how to operate the da Vinci device. While IS does offer a training programme, a 2018 NBC News investigation revealed that the company cannot legally compel surgeons to complete it. (With inputs from agencies)

US: Surgical robot kills cancer patient after burning hole in internal organs, husband seeks justice

South&nbsp;Korean lawmakers voted on Tuesday to require hospitals to place surveillance cameras in operating rooms after a series of medical accidents involving unqualified staff who stood in for surgeons.

With the bill's passage,&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;will be the first developed country to require closed-circuit cameras to record surgical procedures.

The push for having cameras in operating theatres intensified after a case in 2016 in which surgeons at private clinics were accused of assigning nurses or underqualified doctors to perform procedures, sometimes with fatal results.

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Kwon Dae-hee, then a university junior, died of haemorrhage in October 2016 after 49 days in a coma as a result of a jawline surgery in Seoul, his mother Lee Na-geum, 61, told Reuters.

Lee, who has been holding a one-person protest in front of the parliament since January 2018, said her son was traumatised by bullying in high school for his prominent chin, and he was determined to undergo the 6.5 million won ($5,600) cosmetic surgery.

Lee obtained CCTV footage of her son's surgery, but she said there are hundreds of parents who will never know if their child's death on the operating table was the result of malpractice.

She also said she had reviewed the seven-and-a-half hour long footage of Kwon's surgery more than 1,000 times and was able to prove that it was performed in part by an unqualified nursing assistant and an intern doctor, not by the chief plastic surgeon as promised.

This led to Kwon losing over 3.5 litres of blood and he died of excessive bleeding.

With the video evidence she collected, Lee sued the hospital and the head surgeon, who was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison.

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"It is a medical crime when someone else - 'a ghost' - performs the surgery and not the surgeon hired without patient's consent," Lee said.

"There are so many unfortunate bereaved families who cannot reveal the truth because they don't have physical evidence when a healthy person dies in an operating room."

Multiple attempts had been made to amend the Medical Services Act to require surveillance cameras, primarily to stop doctors from delegating surgeries to unlicensed personnel, an act which is subject to a maximum of five years in prison or 50 million won ($43,000) fine.

Up to now, such attempts had died due to lobbying by doctors, said Lee who began an advocacy group for medical justice and patients' rights.

The bill was met with objections from doctors, hospitals and medical groups, including the 140,000-member&nbsp;Korean Medical Association (KMA), which claims video monitoring will undermine trust in doctors, violate patient privacy and discourage doctors from taking risks to save lives.

"We think trust is key in doctor-patient relationship... the bill undermines doctors to actively recommend treatment methods and treating patients," KMA spokeswoman Park Soo-hyun said before the bill passed.

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"Residents have already expressed their intent not to apply to surgery or surgical departments if the CCTVs are installed in operating rooms, which will lead to a collapse of an essential part of&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea's medical care."

Kim Seon-Woong, a plastic surgeon at the Main Plastic Surgery Clinic in Cheonan,&nbsp;south&nbsp;of Seoul, said it was time for cameras in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean operating rooms as they could prevent a variety of crimes, abuses and accidents.

"I think CCTV in operating rooms can be an opportunity to restore trust between patients and doctors," he said.

The bill appeared to have overwhelming public support. In a poll by the Anti‑Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, an independent government agency, in June, the bill had the support of 97.9 per cent&nbsp;of the 13,959 respondents.

South Korean lawmakers voted on Tuesday to require hospitals to place surveillance cameras in operating rooms after a series of medical accidents involving unqualified staff who stood in for surgeons.

South Korean lawmakers voted on Tuesday to require hospitals to place surveillance cameras in operating rooms after a series of medical accidents involving unqualified staff who stood in for surgeons. With the bill's passage, South Korea will be the first developed country to require closed-circuit cameras to record surgical procedures. The push for having cameras in operating theatres intensified after a case in 2016 in which surgeons at private clinics were accused of assigning nurses or underqualified doctors to perform procedures, sometimes with fatal results. Also read | Opinion: Patient can take action against doctor over grievances about telemedicine consultation Kwon Dae-hee, then a university junior, died of haemorrhage in October 2016 after 49 days in a coma as a result of a jawline surgery in Seoul, his mother Lee Na-geum, 61, told Reuters. Lee, who has been holding a one-person protest in front of the parliament since January 2018, said her son was traumatised by bullying in high school for his prominent chin, and he was determined to undergo the 6.5 million won ($5,600) cosmetic surgery. Lee obtained CCTV footage of her son's surgery, but she said there are hundreds of parents who will never know if their child's death on the operating table was the result of malpractice. She also said she had reviewed the seven-and-a-half hour long footage of Kwon's surgery more than 1,000 times and was able to prove that it was performed in part by an unqualified nursing assistant and an intern doctor, not by the chief plastic surgeon as promised. This led to Kwon losing over 3.5 litres of blood and he died of excessive bleeding. With the video evidence she collected, Lee sued the hospital and the head surgeon, who was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison. Also read | Ohio medical board reopens 91 sexual assault cases involving doctors and medical professionals "It is a medical crime when someone else - 'a ghost' - performs the surgery and not the surgeon hired without patient's consent," Lee said. "There are so many unfortunate bereaved families who cannot reveal the truth because they don't have physical evidence when a healthy person dies in an operating room." Multiple attempts had been made to amend the Medical Services Act to require surveillance cameras, primarily to stop doctors from delegating surgeries to unlicensed personnel, an act which is subject to a maximum of five years in prison or 50 million won ($43,000) fine. Up to now, such attempts had died due to lobbying by doctors, said Lee who began an advocacy group for medical justice and patients' rights. The bill was met with objections from doctors, hospitals and medical groups, including the 140,000-member Korean Medical Association (KMA), which claims video monitoring will undermine trust in doctors, violate patient privacy and discourage doctors from taking risks to save lives. "We think trust is key in doctor-patient relationship... the bill undermines doctors to actively recommend treatment methods and treating patients," KMA spokeswoman Park Soo-hyun said before the bill passed. Also read | Doctor performs surgery while appearing in court trial on Zoom for traffic violation "Residents have already expressed their intent not to apply to surgery or surgical departments if the CCTVs are installed in operating rooms, which will lead to a collapse of an essential part of South Korea's medical care." Kim Seon-Woong, a plastic surgeon at the Main Plastic Surgery Clinic in Cheonan, south of Seoul, said it was time for cameras in South Korean operating rooms as they could prevent a variety of crimes, abuses and accidents. "I think CCTV in operating rooms can be an opportunity to restore trust between patients and doctors," he said. The bill appeared to have overwhelming public support. In a poll by the Anti‑Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, an independent government agency, in June, the bill had the support of 97.9 per cent of the 13,959 respondents.

South Korean lawmakers mandate cameras in operating rooms after surgery deaths

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US: Surgical robot kills cancer patient after burning hole in internal organs, husband seeks justice

South Korean lawmakers mandate cameras in operating rooms after surgery deaths