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Cost effectiveness and robot-assisted urologic surgery: does it make dollars and sense?
Ryan W Dobbs1, Brenden P Magnan2, Nikita Abhyankar2
1Department of Urology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA - rdobbs@uic.edu.
Summary
Robotic urologic surgery offers improved outcomes but incurs higher costs. Further research is needed to confirm the cost-effectiveness of robotic surgery in urology.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Surgical Technology
Background:
- Robotic surgical platforms have transformed urologic practice, enhancing minimally invasive surgery.
- While robotic surgery improves perioperative outcomes like blood loss and hospital stay, its high costs necessitate cost-effectiveness evaluations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the existing evidence on the cost-effectiveness of robotic urologic surgery.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature searches were performed across major databases (PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science) without language restrictions.
- Articles were cross-referenced, and relevant publications from 2000 to 2016 were reviewed for inclusion, with 49 articles selected for final analysis.
Main Results:
- The literature on robotic urologic surgery cost-effectiveness is limited by varied research methods and cost-accounting approaches.
- Robotic surgery is associated with better perioperative results but significantly higher fixed costs for equipment and instrumentation.
Conclusions:
- More high-quality trials are required to establish the cost-effectiveness of robotic urologic surgery.
- Future research should incorporate quality of life and validated economic metrics to guide the continued use of robotic surgical technology.
