Robots have long been involved in the making of cars and electronics. They are also starting to learn how to make decisions that enable them to drive cars for us. As robots get smarter, there may be potential applications for artificial intelligence in the medical field. Specifically, it may be possible for a robot to perform surgery on its own in the future.

In research done by the Children’s National Medical Center, it was shown that a robot surgeon could do soft tissue surgery better than a human could. An autonomous robot was able to stitch together a pig’s bowel on its own while being supervised by human surgeons. While robots may not be doing surgery on their own just yet, some medical professionals believe that they could collaborate with humans to improve human performance and patient outcomes.

In theory, it would allow patients access to the best possible care regardless of who was performing the surgery. Such technology would also represent a step forward from current machines that allow surgeons to see a tumor or other objects inside of a patient without the need to cut into the patient. However, these tools are simply extensions of the human whereas advances in autonomous robotics in the medical field would see these complex machines contributing to the end result.

If a patient is injured in a surgical procedure, he or she could suffer short and long-term consequences. For instance, it may be impossible to go back to work or take an active role in raising his or her children. Therefore, injured patients may benefit from talking to an attorney. An attorney may be helpful in obtaining compensation for medical bills, lost wages and future earnings.