Robots and computers will never replace doctors

Says Eitan Debi, a 27-year-old doctoral student in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion, who is also studying medicine at the same time

"Robots and computers will never replace doctors," says Eitan Debi, a 27-year-old doctoral student in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion. "In my experience, technology cannot replace human interaction. Throughout history people turned to healers, healers or shamans. Humans need interaction and human touch, so they will never be able to trust only robots."

Eitan, a graduate of the track in biotechnology from Yale University, knows what he is talking about. He grew up in the USA and came to Israel five years ago to study medicine in the American program of Tel Aviv University. Three years ago, he took a break from medical studies in favor of a doctorate in the bio-robotics and bio-mechanics laboratory of Professor Alon Wolff in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion. "I wanted to specialize here in medical engineering, because I knew that this field was being developed in Israel." This school year he returned to finish his medical studies.

"It is very exciting to live in Israel. Israeli hi-tech culture, especially in the field of medical devices, is very advanced, and I saw the inherent potential here in the combination of engineering with the world of medicine. I learn a lot from the patients I meet. Engineering for the benefit of medicine - this is the only way to see our inventions work.

"Surgery is the greatest penetration into the human body. A surgeon has more than a decade of training, and it is difficult to bring robots to the level of such a surgeon. There will always be a need for someone human to be in charge. We engineers give medicine technological tools, but do not claim to replace them. It is important that the technological change in the field of medicine happens slowly, because it is a matter of human rights, and the one who stands trial in the end is the surgeon, not the robot."

In his doctoral thesis, under the guidance of Professor Wolff, Eitan Debi focuses on the rehabilitation of patients after knee surgery. He supervises the treatment process and examines the biomechanics of the patients who come to him with a worn knee as a result of osteoporosis - a common medical problem, which causes patients great suffering and exhaustion. The common solution to the problem is knee replacement surgery, after which the pain decreases and most patients are very satisfied. "By 2030, in the US alone, approximately 3.5 million people will undergo knee replacement surgery each year at a total cost of more than 9 billion dollars. However, many operated on fail to return to a normal level of functioning, and recently more and more evidence is accumulating indicating that a significant percentage of patients continue to experience chronic pain and functional disability even after surgery. This pain leads to a decrease in quality of life and dissatisfaction even after many years. Also, there is a fear of long-term complications with the replacement knee. It can be said that these people now have a 'Mercedes knee' but they are not walking correctly, and are impairing the long-term success of the surgery.

"These patients suffer from pain and therefore adapt to themselves a way of walking, which may damage their muscles and damage the replacement knee. To improve their walking form we offer them biomechanical therapy to change walking patterns. This biomechanical treatment program succeeds in significantly improving the movement patterns of the knee joint. This effect is reflected in a significant improvement of pain, function and quality of life. The treatment plan also includes fitting special shoes for the patient, and he takes them home and walks in them for 30 minutes to an hour every day.

"A half rubber ball was attached to the sole of the shoe, so it makes the user unstable. To stabilize, the patient is required to activate his muscles, and thus he strengthens muscles that help him get used to the replacement knee. The improvement in walking reduces the pain and improves the quality of life of the patient."

In his lab at the Technion, Eitan treats 50 adult patients from hospitals in the north of the country, who have undergone knee replacement surgery, or are in the pre-surgery phase, and suffer from cartilage erosion and overuse of the knee joint. "Their quality of life is very problematic," he explains. "It's hard for them to walk, they don't work, and their health condition makes them moody and depressed. They come to me from all over the country referring the hospitals. They come both before and after surgery. The shoe may prevent the need for repeat surgery and surgery on the other leg.

Even after completing his doctorate, Eitan plans to continue collaborating with Professor Alon Wolf and his lab. "It's an amazing laboratory," he concludes, "and I'm grateful to be a part of it." In the future, he wants to become an orthopedist, combine the two worlds and bring medical technological equipment to the patient's bedside, for the benefit of the patient. "Next year I will finish my medical studies, and I don't want to choose between the world of engineering and the world of medicine, but to combine both. My medical background is critical to the engineering research," he adds. "Specializing in medical engineering allows me to know how things work. I wanted to bring engineering to the medical world. I would not have come to this particular study if I had not studied medicine. The best part of my research is the focus on interacting with the patients. I am here for them, and so I also receive the full response from them.

"In providing treatment to the patient, I want to combine the two worlds. My knowledge and medical background serves me well in my engineering studies, I am the only one in my medical studies cycle with an engineering background. In the future, engineering will be integrated into the world of medicine more and more. As an engineer I am interested in whether the device works or not. As a doctor I dedicate time to patients, listen to them, build relationships with them and help them in other areas as well. As an engineer I want to get a perfect product out of my hands, but as a doctor it is more important to me how the patients feel.

"As an engineer, I would be happy for the hospitals to use more advanced technological medical equipment. They are open to new ideas and technology, but it takes them a long time to introduce new technologies."