Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
05:21
Laparoscopic Extracorporeal Knot-Tying for Uterine Vessel Occlusion during Hysterectomy with Cervical Cerclage in Large Uteri
Published on: September 12, 2025
833
Cost differences among robotic, vaginal, and abdominal hysterectomy
Joshua L Woelk1, Bijan J Borah, Emanuel C Trabuco
1Urogynecology and Continence Center, Methodist Physicians Clinic, Omaha, Nebraska; and the Divisions of Health Care Policy and Research and Gynecologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
|January 10, 2014
Summary
Robotically assisted hysterectomy is more expensive than vaginal hysterectomy, but similar in cost to abdominal hysterectomy. Costs for complications did not differ significantly between the surgical methods.
Area of Science:
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Gynecologic Surgery
- Health Economics
Background:
- Hysterectomy is a common gynecologic procedure.
- Robotic surgery offers potential benefits but may increase costs.
- Comparing costs of different hysterectomy approaches is crucial for healthcare decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the total billed costs of robotically assisted hysterectomy (RAH) with vaginal hysterectomy (VH) and abdominal hysterectomy (AH).
- To analyze the cost-effectiveness of different surgical modalities for hysterectomy.
Main Methods:
- Propensity score-matching was used to compare RAH cases with randomly selected VH and AH cases.
- Billed costs were abstracted through the sixth postoperative week.
- Generalized linear modeling and recycled predictions were used to estimate costs.
Main Results:
- RAH was significantly more costly than VH ($13,619 vs. $11,366; P<.001).
- RAH and AH costs were similar ($14,679 vs. $15,588; P=.35).
- Costs of operative complications were not significantly different across all groups.
Conclusions:
- Vaginal hysterectomy represents a less costly surgical option compared to robotically assisted hysterectomy.
- Robotically assisted hysterectomy and abdominal hysterectomy demonstrate comparable overall costs.
- Cost-effectiveness analysis supports VH as a more economical choice.
