Costs of Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Analysis of potential savings

Surgical Cost Awareness Program Study: Impact of a Novel, Real-Time, Cost Awareness Intervention on Operating Room Expenses in Thoracoscopic Lobectomy

BACKGROUND

For surgical patients, operating room expenses are significant drivers of overall hospitalization costs. Surgical teams often lack awareness of the costs associated with disposable surgical supplies, which may lead to unnecessary expenditures. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a Surgical Cost Awareness Program would reduce operating room costs.

STUDY DESIGN

A prototype software displays the types and costs of disposable instruments used in real-time during surgery and generates insight-driven operative cost reports, which are automatically sent to the surgeons. A prospective pre-post controlled trial of thoracoscopic lobectomy procedures performed by 7 surgeons at a single academic center was conducted. Control and intervention groups consisted of consecutive cases from February 2nd through June 23, 2021, and from June 28th through December 22, 2021, respectively. The primary outcome was mean per case surgical disposables cost.

RESULTS

Three hundred twenty-two lobectomies were evaluated throughout the study period (control: n = 164; intervention: n = 158). Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. Mean disposables cost per case was $3,320.73 ± $814.83 in the control group compared with $2,567.64 ± $594.59 in the intervention group, representing a mean cost reduction of $753.08 (95% CI, $622.29 to $883.87; p < 0.001). All surgeons experienced a reduction in disposable costs after the intervention. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes did not differ between the cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing real-time educational feedback to surgical teams significantly reduced costs associated with disposable surgical equipment without compromising perioperative outcomes for lobectomy. Integrating the novel AssistIQ software across other procedural settings may generate further data insights with the potential for significant cost savings on a larger scale.

Examining variation in cost based on surgeon choices for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the standard of care for treatment of benign biliary disease. Declining reimbursements and increasing medical costs require physicians to examine closely their choices for equipment to decrease overall costs, particularly looking at key steps of cholecystectomy. The objective of this study was to examine variations between surgeons in equipment and operating room costs for elective LC.

METHODS

Elective LC performed at IUH West Hospital in 2013 was analyzed. Patient demographics, preoperative diagnosis, operative time, surgical equipment, and resident participation were tracked. Exclusion criteria included acute cholecystitis and cases with additional procedures. Electronic medical records for clinical data and administrative records for reimbursement data were reviewed. Total supply costs and disposable costs for key portions of the LC were analyzed. Reimbursements were obtained from all payers for LC.

RESULTS

All LC were examined (n = 362) and 272 met inclusion criteria. Demographics and pathology were similar between surgeons. Operative time varied significantly (range 53-98 min) with the lowest cost surgeon taking the longest overall time. Times were significantly affected by resident participation. The total morbidity was 4 %, with no mortalities. Total supply costs by surgeon ranged from $412-$924. The most costeffective technique included the use of plastic locking clips and hook electrocautery. Hospital and surgeon reimbursements were $336-$11,554 and $669-$1500 respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights effects of surgeon choice as it relates to variable costs for surgical technique during elective LC without compromising safety. With healthcare reform emphasizing reduced healthcare expenditures, it is vital for surgeons to identify areas of unnecessary cost. Operating room time also contributes to cost, thus surgeons should implement techniques to complete procedures in a safe yet efficient fashion. Transparency by surgeons can lead to data that may support standardization of technique across a healthcare system to lower total supply costs.

Morbidity related to "endo-corticotomies" for transpalatal osteodistraction

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to evaluate morbidity arising from transnasal, endoscopically assisted corticotomies for transpalatal osteodistraction. This minimally invasive technique utilizes three 1-cm incisions in the nasal vestibule instead of the classical, two lateral and one medial oral vestibule incisions of 2-3 cm and 1cm long, respectively.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Fifty-nine patients (33 females and 26 males; age range: 9-50 years, mean 20 years) who underwent surgery in the hub hospital by the senior surgeon were included in a prospective registry. Patients with congenital maxillary hypoplasia were excluded. Difficulties were systematically recorded.

RESULTS

Mean operative time was 68 min (SD: 15 min) when no other procedures were combined with the transpalatal osteodistraction. Ten difficulties unrelated to either the device or oral hygiene were encountered: rhinorrhoea and minor nasal obstruction (1), nasal bleeding with hospital admission (1), periostitis at the piriform aperture that necessitated revision using local anaesthesia (1), periostitis with spontaneous healing (1), postoperative pain (2), dermatitis (1), infraorbital ecchymosis (1), excessive postoperative oedema (1), and prolonged cheek hyperaesthesia (1).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Operative time as well as both percentage and nature of complications was similar to those experienced with "open-sky TPD" (transpalatal distraction), with less pronounced oedema and patient surgical threshold decreased.

Operating room costs of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: does surgeon volume matter?

Very few studies have addressed the issue of surgeon volume on cost savings of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in Asian countries. The objectives of the study were to analyze LC operating-room (OR) costs between two study hospitals and to examine the effect of surgeon volume on OR costs. Patients diagnosed with gallbladder disease who underwent LC in October through December 2002 at two acute tertiary-care hospitals were included. Patient demographics and clinical information were derived from patient charts. Cost information was obtained from purchasing departments or specific cost centers. Three multivariate linear regression models were performed to examine the association between surgeon volume, cost, and utilization. There were no significant differences in patient demographics and disease severity between the two hospitals. Hospital A consumed fewer resources than did hospital B (NTdollars 21,674 vs NTdollars 26,417). Direct materials cost, direct professional costs, and indirect costs varied significantly by study hospital and by surgeon volume. High-volume surgeons incurred lower costs and shorter stay as compared with low-volume surgeons. Patients who scored in the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS) 3 incurred significantly higher costs and longer hospital stays than did patients with ASA PS 1. The present study supports the proposal that hospital management and experience of surgeons are of equal importance in maintaining the standing of hospitals in competitive positions. In addition to the differences in hospital management and surgeon volume, the patient severity of illness also needs to be taken into consideration in cost containment.

Changing methods of imaging the common bile duct in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy era in Western Australia: implications for surgical practice

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), intraoperative cholangiography (IOC), and surgical exploration of the common bile duct (CBD) associated with the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

The optimal strategy for dealing with potential stones of the CBD during LC remains controversial.

METHODS

The authors conducted a population-based study of all cases of cholecystectomy (20,084) in Western Australia in the periods before, during, and after the introduction of LC (1988-1994). Index admissions were linked to previous or subsequent admissions for ERCP. Factors associated with ERCP were analyzed by multivariate regression models.

RESULTS

Between 1988 and 1994, admissions for ERCP almost doubled, whereas the use of IOC decreased from 71% to 51%. Different trends were found for open and laparoscopic procedures. Exploration of the CBD declined because of the infrequent use of this procedure in LC. Preoperative ERCP was significantly more common in older patients and men; the reverse was found for IOC. There was an adjusted 3.5-fold increase in preoperative ERCP both during and after the introduction of LC. The adjusted odds ratios for IOC were 0.48 and 0.52 for these periods.

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of LC was associated with increasing reliance on ERCP to image the CBD and a decrease in the use of IOC. These changes were observed in both LC and open cholecystectomy. They suggest that the use of ERCP before cholecystectomy has partly replaced IOC for visualization of the CBD for suspected stones. Although more than 40% of patients undergoing LC had IOC, surgeons appear to be reluctant to perform surgical exploration of the CBD when stones are present. Savings in terms of both complications and cost can be expected if preoperative ERCPs performed for suspicion of uncomplicated CBD stones are replaced by IOC.