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Updated: Sep 19, 2025
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Author Spotlight: Expanding Interventional Pulmonology Research with Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy
Published on: July 19, 2024
821
Combining Robotic Navigational Bronchoscopy and Lung Resection Into a Single Anesthetic Event: Cost-Effectiveness,
Lucas Weiser1, Claire Perez1, Justin J Watson1
1Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports
|June 17, 2025
Summary
Single-anesthesia robotic navigational bronchoscopy with biopsy and lung resection (SABR) significantly reduces treatment delays and costs for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients compared to traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Thoracic Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
- Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- Delays in non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis to resection negatively impact patient survival.
- The single-anesthesia robotic navigational bronchoscopy with biopsy and lung resection (SABR) procedure was developed to minimize these diagnostic and treatment delays.
- This study compares SABR to a staggered approach involving separate bronchoscopy and resection procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes, wait times, and cost-effectiveness of the SABR technique.
- To compare SABR with a conventional staggered approach for non-small cell lung cancer treatment.
- To determine if SABR can reduce the time from diagnosis to surgical resection and associated healthcare costs.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of patients undergoing either SABR or staggered robotic navigational bronchoscopy followed by resection from April 2020 to May 2023.
- Collection of demographic and procedural data, including time from clinic/biopsy to operation, length of stay, and inpatient complications.
- Analysis of direct, indirect, and total costs, adjusted to 2023 dollars, for each treatment approach.
Main Results:
- The study included 40 patients in the SABR group and 30 in the staggered group, with similar baseline characteristics and complication rates.
- Time from clinic to resection was significantly shorter in the SABR group (26.5 days) versus the staggered group (41.5 days; P = .001).
- Time from biopsy to resection was 0 days for SABR compared to 17 days for the staggered group (P < .001), with SABR demonstrating lower direct, indirect, and total costs.
Conclusions:
- The SABR technique significantly reduces the time from diagnosis to treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.
- SABR offers a more cost-effective approach to care for these patients.
- This single-anesthesia approach streamlines treatment and improves efficiency in managing non-small cell lung cancer.
