Ecuador Uses Robot in Hospital Operating Rooms

Ecuador has become the second Latin American country after Mexico to use the technology of the Da Vinci robot in its public hospitals. Controlled by surgeons working in the operation room, the robot works with a 3D camera that multiplies images up to 10 times. It has shown a reduction in patient recovery time. Its use in gynecological operations is deemed important and some patients have obtained hysterectomies free of charge. The total investment for the robot is nearly US$4.5 million, a significant investment for a government that has prioritized bettering medical services in its Citizens’ Revolution. A typical hysterectomy has a 13% rate of complications, while the percentage drops to 1% of all patients with the Da Vinci robot. Liz Sherffius reports from Quito for teleSUR.