Surgical Robot / Al Greenway’s Robotic Surgery Event, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Tampa, Florida/ October 13, 2002
The surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital employed the latest in medical technology.
An experienced doctor looking at a three-dimensional computer screen manipulated a robot with three mechanical arms used to cut blood vessels and remove a cancerous kidney from Al Greenway, Plant High School teacher.
An experienced doctor looking at a three-dimensional computer screen manipulated a robot with three mechanical arms used to cut blood vessels and remove a cancerous kidney from Al Greenway, Plant High School teacher.
The procedure is considered less invasive than traditional surgery and is supposed to decrease a patient’s bleeding, pain and recovery time.
But something went terribly wrong.
During the surgery, Greenway’s aorta and another blood vessel supplying the kidney were accidentally cut. No one noticed for about 90 minutes. Two days later, on Oct. 13, Greenway died of complications from the surgery.