Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32968240›Full record

ReviewNature reviews. Urology2020

Autonomous surgery in the era of robotic urology: friend or foe of the future surgeon?

Martin J Connor, Prokar Dasgupta, Hashim U Ahmed, Asif Raza

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nature reviews. Urology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Perseus: perception with semantic endoscopic understanding and SLAM.International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. At the cutting edge: the potential of autonomous surgery and challenges faced.BMJ surgery, interventions, & health technologies · 2025
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Landmarks in the evolution of prostate biopsy.Nature reviews. Urology · 2023
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Martin J ConnorDivision of Surgery, Imperial Prostate, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Campus, London, UK. m.connor@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-4033-7508
Prokar DasguptaMRC Centre for Transplantation, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
Hashim U AhmedDivision of Surgery, Imperial Prostate, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Campus, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1674-6723
Asif RazaDepartment of Urology, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust · GBKing's College London · GBLondon North West Healthcare NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite advances in robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) in the past two decades, control of the robotic system currently remains under the command of a human surgeon. Historically, urology has pioneered new surgical techniques and technologies. Now, autonomous RAS is on the horizon and the first data from clinical trials of autonomous RAS in urology are being published. Automation takes control away from the surgeon but promises standardization of techniques, increased efficiency, potentially reduced complication rates and new ways of integrating intra-operative imaging. Preclinical and clinical evidence is emerging that supports the use of autonomous robotic-assisted urological surgery. Use of autonomous technologies in the operating theatre will directly affect the role of the urological surgeon. Integration of autonomous RAS can be viewed as a positive aid, but it might also be perceived as a threat to the future urological surgeon.

Indexed as

BrachytherapyHumansMaleProstatic HyperplasiaProstatic NeoplasmsReference StandardsRoboticsRobotic Surgical ProceduresUrologic Surgical ProceduresUrology

Identifiers

PMID32968240
OpenAlexW3088723426

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.