Access to Robot Skewed Toward Young White Males in One State

By Christina Frangou and Victoria Stern

While the application of robotic surgery expanded between 2009 and 2014, its use has not been spread equally among the population, according to a study of New York state data presented at the 2016 Minimally Invasive Surgery Week (Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons).

Patients who undergo robotic surgery tend be young, male, white and residents of more affluent areas, investigators reported.

The study gives a “snapshot” of robotic surgical cases