Abstract
Over the past 2 decades, the use and importance of robotic surgery in minimally invasive surgery has increased. Across various surgical specialties, robotic technology has gained popularity through its use of 3D visualization, optimal ergonomic positioning, and precise instrument manipulation. This growing interest has also been seen in acute care surgery, where laparoscopic procedures are used more frequently. Despite the growing popularity of robotic surgery in the acute care surgical realm, there is very little research on the utility of robotics regarding its effects on health outcomes and cost-effectiveness. The current literature indicates some value in utilizing robotic technology in specific urgent procedures, such as cholecystectomies and incarcerated hernia repairs; however, the high cost of robotic surgery was found to be a potential barrier to its widespread use in acute care surgery. This narrative literature review aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) in surgical procedures that are often done in urgent settings: cholecystectomies, inguinal hernia repair, ventral hernia repair, and appendectomies.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
References
Turchetti G et al (2012) Economic evaluation of da vinci-assisted robotic surgery: a systematic review. Surg Endosc 26(3):598–606
Sheetz KH, Claflin J, Dimick JB (2020) Trends in the adoption of robotic surgery for common surgical procedures. JAMA Netw Open 3(1):e1918911
Peters BS et al (2018) Review of emerging surgical robotic technology. Surg Endosc 32(4):1636–1655
Han C et al (2018) Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Surg Endosc 32(11):4377–4392
Shah J, Vyas A, Vyas D (2014) The history of robotics in surgical specialties. Am J Robot Surg 1(1):12–20
Lunardi N et al (2024) Robotic technology in emergency general surgery cases in the era of minimally invasive surgery. JAMA Surg 6:e240016
Reinisch A et al (2023) Robotic operations in urgent general surgery: a systematic review. J Robot Surg 17(2):275–290
Higgins RM et al (2017) Cost analysis of robotic versus laparoscopic general surgery procedures. Surg Endosc 31(1):185–192
Ng AP et al (2023) National analysis of cost disparities in robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic abdominal operations. Surgery 173:1340–1345
Khorgami Z et al (2019) The cost of robotics: an analysis of the added costs of robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic surgery using the national inpatient sample. Surg Endosc 33(7):2217–2221
Tandogdu Z et al (2015) A systematic review of economic evaluations of the use of robotic assisted laparoscopy in surgery compared with open or laparoscopic surgery. Appl Health Econ Health Policy 13(5):457–467
Kane WJ et al (2020) Robotic compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a propensity matched analysis. Surgery (United States) 167(2):432–435
Abdelmoaty WF et al (2018) Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic unilateral inguinal hernia repair: a comprehensive cost analysis. Surg Endosc Other Interv Tech 32(1):S1
Bedeir K, Mann A, Youssef Y (2016) Robotic single-site versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy: which is cheaper? A cost report and analysis. Surg Endosc 30(1):267–272
Munshower E et al (2022) Cost analysis of robotic assisted general surgery cases in a single academic institution. J Robot Surg 17:557–564
Strosberg DS et al (2017) A retrospective comparison of robotic cholecystectomy versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy: operative outcomes and cost analysis. Surg Endosc 31(3):1436–1441
Waite KE, Herman MA, Doyle PJ (2016) Comparison of robotic versus laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) inguinal hernia repair. J Robot Surg 10(3):239–244
Quilici PJ, Wolberg H, McConnell N (2022) Operating costs, fiscal impact, value analysis and guidance for the routine use of robotic technology in abdominal surgical procedures. Surg Endosc 36(2):1433–1443
Rifai AO et al (2023) Retrospective analysis of operative time and time to discharge for laparoscopic vs robotic approaches to appendectomy and cholecystectomy. J Robot Surg 17:2187–2193
Talan DA, Di Saverio S (2021) Treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis. N Engl J Med 385(12):1116–1123
Szold A et al (2015) European association of endoscopic surgeons (EAES) consensus statement on the use of robotics in general surgery. Surg Endosc 29(2):253–288
Avondstondt AM et al (2018) Change in cost after 5 years of experience with robotic-assisted hysterectomy for the treatment of endometrial cancer. J Robot Surg 12(1):93–96
Madion MP et al (2022) Robotic surgery training curricula: prevalence, perceptions, and educational experiences in general surgery residency programs. Surg Endosc 36(9):6638–6646
Chen X et al (2023) Cost analysis of training residents in robotic-assisted surgery. Surg Endosc 37(4):2765–2769
Guseila LM et al (2014) Using virtual reality to maintain surgical skills during periods of robotic surgery inactivity. J Robot Surg 8(3):261–268
Kudsi OY et al (2022) Learning curve of robot-assisted transabdominal preperitoneal (rTAPP) inguinal hernia repair: a cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. Surg Endosc 36(3):1827–1837
Kudsi OY et al (2022) Learning curve of robotic transversus abdominis release in ventral hernia repair: a cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. Surg Endosc 36(5):3480–3488
Kudsi OY et al (2023) Learning curve of multiport robotic cholecystectomy: a cumulative sum analysis. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 33:332–338
Kudsi OY et al (2023) Learning curve of single-site robotic cholecystectomy: a cumulative sum analysis. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 33(3):310–316
Singh A et al (2023) Cost-effectiveness analysis of robotic cholecystectomy in the treatment of benign gallbladder disease. Surgery 173(6):1323–1328
Funding
No external funding was used.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Kumudini Myla and Naseem Bou-Ayash were responsible for drafting the manuscript. All authors contributed to the revision of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other supports were received during the preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Myla, K., Bou-Ayash, N., Kim, W.C. et al. Is implementation of robotic-assisted procedures in acute care general surgery cost-effective?. J Robotic Surg 18, 223 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11701-024-01912-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11701-024-01912-y