SAEDNEWS: Man Sues Surgical Robot Maker, Claims Device Caused Wife’s Fatal Intestinal Injury
According to Saed News’ society desk, citing Digiato, a woman named Sandra Saltzer underwent surgery in September 2021 at the Baptist Health Boca Raton regional hospital. Doctors used a surgical robot called Da Vinci during the procedure, which accidentally perforated her small intestine. According to her husband’s lawsuit, Sandra ultimately died in February 2022 due to the intestinal injury.
Her husband, Harvey Saltzer, has filed a lawsuit against the device manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical, seeking compensation. The company has previously been investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over patient injuries during surgery. The lawsuit alleges that Intuitive systematically failed to report these incidents to the FDA.
The complaint claims that Intuitive Surgical was aware of an electrical issue with their robot, which allegedly caused internal organs to burn. It also alleges that the company sells its robots to hospitals lacking experience in robotic surgery and fails to properly train staff on correct usage.
Although Intuitive provides a training course for its surgical robot, NBC News reported in 2018 that surgeons are not legally required to complete it. The lawsuit further claims that Sandra Saltzer was unaware that using surgical robots carries higher risks than traditional methods, including a greater likelihood of burns.
