Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 30, 2025
04:38
Subcostal Specimen Removal in Completely Portal Robotic Lobectomy
Published on: April 19, 2024
496
Costs Associated With Lobectomy for Lung Cancer: An Analysis Merging STS and Medicare Data
Rachel L Medbery1, Felix G Fernandez2, Andrzej S Kosinski3
1Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons, Austin, Texas.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|November 14, 2020
Summary
The 90-day cost of lung cancer lobectomy varies significantly due to patient, disease, and hospital factors. Postoperative complications, like respiratory failure, substantially increase these costs.
Area of Science:
- Thoracic Surgery
- Health Economics
- Oncology
Background:
- Lung cancer lobectomy costs vary based on patient, disease, and facility factors.
- Identifying case-mix factors influencing 90-day costs for early-stage lung cancer lobectomy is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify patient and hospital characteristics impacting 90-day costs of lung cancer lobectomy.
- To determine the additive costs associated with perioperative outcomes and complications.
Main Methods:
- Utilized The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database (2008-2013) for clinical stage I lung cancer lobectomies.
- Analyzed 90-day episode-of-care costs linked to Medicare data, estimating hospital costs from charges.
- Employed regression models to assess preoperative factors, hospital characteristics, and complication impacts on costs.
Main Results:
- Mean 90-day cost was $45,080 ± $38,239.
- Factors like advanced age, comorbidities, smoking, impaired function, open thoracotomy, prolonged operative time, and specific hospital types/locations increased costs.
- Postoperative complications added an average of $27,259, with respiratory failure being the most costly ($35,011).
Conclusions:
- Lung cancer lobectomy exhibits significant cost variability.
- Cost drivers include patient demographics, clinical status, hospital attributes, and complication occurrence/severity.
