Ethical trust in the context of robot assisted surgery

Robot Surgery began as a general practice in the United States since 2000 when the robotic da Vinci Surgical System was approved for use in hospitals by the FDA. Recently there have been some questions regarding the safety record of these machines and their benefits relative to their expense. Should we as patients and caregivers place more or less trust in the technology of robotic surgery? To answer this question we will look at the possibility that robotic surgery may be an example of reverse adaptation, where the technology drives the social contract between the doctor and patient. Additionally we will look at the impacts robotic surgery will have on traditional aspects of the medical ethics of surgery such as informed consent, autonomy of surgeons and patients, corporate marketing, and the duty to provide the best available care, as well as increasing the asymmetry of the trust relationship between surgeon and patient. It will be argued that these issues will grow in important as future robot surgery systems gain more autonomy in making or suggesting surgical strategies.