Robotic Surgery in Safety-Net Hospitals: Addressing Health Disparities and Improving Access to Care

Abstract

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has demonstrated significant clinical and economic benefits that have been consistently validated and reproduced in practice and the literature for the past few decades. These benefits include improved patient outcomes, reduced complications, shorter hospital stays, decreased narcotic use, quicker recovery times, and lower rates of wound infections. However, safety-net hospitals, which historically serve a larger percentage of underserved and marginalized populations, often lack the resources to invest in high capital equipment. This limitation decreases access for these marginalized groups to the advantages of MIS, particularly robotic surgery and a wider range of surgical operations. This disparity in access to care highlights a critical shortfall in the delivery of health care for these patients and other vulnerable populations.

Keywords: disparities; health equity; minimally invasive surgery; robotic surgery; surgical education.