Cost-Effective Approach to the Laparoscopic Appendectomy : Balancing Disposable Instrument Cost With Operative Time.

BACKGROUND: Surgeons can help reduce health care spending by selecting affordable and efficient instruments. The laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is commonly performed and can serve as a model for improving health care cost. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all adult patients who underwent LA for non-perforated appendicitis from March 2015 to November 2017. Our objective was to determine which combination of disposable instruments afforded the lowest total operative cost without compromising postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 1857 consecutive patients were reviewed from 2 hospitals. After determining the 8 most commonly utilized combinations of disposable instruments, 846 patients were ultimately analyzed. The combination of a LigaSure, Endoloop, and an EndoBag (LEB) had the shortest median operative time (25 minutes, P < .001) and lowest median total operative cost ($1893, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The LEB instrument combination rendered the shortest operative time, lowest total operative cost, and can be used to maximize surgical value during LA.

Robotic and hybrid robotic transversus abdominis release may be performed with low length of stay and wound morbidity.

The objective of our study was to compare length of stay and wound complications after hybrid robotic transversus abdominis release (hrTAR) vs. robotic transversus abdominis release (rTAR) Two cohorts of patients undergoing robotic (rTAR) and hybrid robotic (hrTAR) performed by two surgeons at a single institution were analyzed. Mean length of stay (LOS) and incidence of surgical site occurrences (SSO) were compared. 57 patients undergoing rTAR and 25 patients undergoing hrTAR were analyzed. The hrTAR group had larger mean hernia dimensions and a larger proportion of men but otherwise the patient cohorts were similar. LOS was not statistically different between rTAR and hrTAR (2.8 vs 3.7 days p = 0.06). We found no difference in incidence of surgical site occurrences between the two groups (7.0% vs 4.0% p = 0.52). Hybrid robotic assisted TAR allows for repair of complex ventral hernias with similar lengths of stay and wound morbidity to pure robotic repairs.