Postoperative complications decrease the cost-effectiveness of robotic-assisted lobectomy

Risk-adjusted discrete increases in length of stay by complication following anatomic lung resection: an analysis of 32 133 cases across the USA

OBJECTIVES

Prior studies have associated morbidity following anatomic lung resection with prolonged postoperative length of stay; however, each complication's individual impact on length of stay as a continuous variable has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk-adjusted increase in length of stay associated with each individual postoperative complications following anatomic lung resection.

METHODS

Patients who underwent anatomic lung resection cataloged in the prospectively collected American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program participant use file, 2005-2018, were targeted. The association between preoperative characteristics, postoperative complications and length of stay in days was tested. A negative binomial model adjusting for the effect of preoperative characteristics and 18 concurrent postoperative complications was used to generate incidence rate ratios. This model was fit to generate risk-adjusted increases in length of stay by complication.

RESULTS

Of 32 133 patients, 5065 patients (15.8%) experienced at least one post-operative complication. The most frequent complications were pneumonia (n = 1829, 5.7%), the need for transfusion (n = 1794, 5.6%) and unplanned reintubation (n = 1064, 3.3%). The occurrence of each of the 18 individual complications was associated with significantly increased length of stay. This finding persisted after risk-adjustment, with the greatest risk-adjusted increases being associated with prolonged ventilation (+17.4 days), followed by septic shock (+17.2 days), acute renal failure (+16.5 days) and deep surgical site infection (+13.2 days).

CONCLUSIONS

All 18 postoperative complications studied following anatomic lung resection were associated with significant risk-adjusted increases in length of stay, ranging from an increase of 17.4 days with prolonged ventilation to 2.6 days following the need for transfusion.

Outcomes and costs with the introduction of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery in public hospitals

Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) is an effective treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but the effects of its implementation in university hospital networks has not been described. We analyzed the early clinical outcomes, estimated costs, and revenues associated with three robotic systems implemented in the Paris Public Hospital network. A retrospective study included patients who underwent RATS for NSCLC in 2019 and 2020. Ninety-day morbidity, mortality, hospital costs, and hospital revenues were described. Economic analyses were conducted either from the hospital center or from the French health insurance system perspectives. Cost drivers were tested using univariate and multivariable analyses. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess uncertainty over in-hospital length of stay (LOS), number of robotic surgeries per year, investment cost, operating room occupancy time, maintenance cost, and commercial discount. The study included 188 patients (65.8 ± 9.3 years; Charlson 4.1 ± 1.4; stage I 76.6%). Median in-hospital LOS was 6 days [5-9.5], 90-day mortality was 1.6%. Mean hospital expenses and revenues were €12,732 ± 4914 and €11,983 ± 5708 per patient, respectively. In multivariable analysis, factors associated with hospital costs were body mass index, DLCO, major complications, and transfer to intensive care unit. Sensitivity analyses showed that in-hospital LOS (€11,802-€15,010) and commercial discounts on the list price (€11,458-€12,732) had an important impact on costs. During the first 2 years following the installation of three robotic systems in Paris Public Hospitals, the clinical outcomes of RATS for NSCLC have been satisfactory. Without commercial discount, hospital expenses would have exceeded hospital revenues.Clinical registration number CNIL, N°2221601, CERC-SFCTCV-2021-07-20-Num17_MOPI_robolution.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting pulmonary complications after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in elderly patients with lung cancer

Background

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) significantly increase the morbidity and mortality in elderly patients with lung cancer. Considering the adverse effects of PPCs, we aimed to derive and validate a nomogram to predict pulmonary complications after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in elderly patients with lung cancer and to assist surgeons in optimizing patient-centered treatment plans.

Methods

The study enrolled 854 eligible elderly patients with lung cancer who underwent sub-lobectomy or lobectomy. A clinical prediction model for the probability of PPCs was developed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, data from one center were used to derive the model, and data from another were used for external validation. The model's discriminatory capability, predictive accuracy, and clinical usefulness were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis, respectively.

Results

Among the eligible elderly patients with lung cancer, 214 (25.06%) developed pulmonary complications after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, surgical procedure, operative time, forced expiratory volume in one second, and the carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lung were independent predictors of PPCs and were included in the final model. The areas under the ROC curves (AUC) of the training and validation sets were 0.844 and 0.796, respectively. Ten-fold cross-validation was used to evaluate the generalizability of the predictive model, with an average AUC value of 0.839. The calibration curve showed good consistency between the observed and predicted probabilities. The proposed nomogram showed good net benefit with a relatively wide range of threshold probabilities.

Conclusion

A nomogram for elderly patients with lung cancer can be derived using preoperative and intraoperative variables. Our model can also be accessed using the online web server https://pulmonary-disease-predictor.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp/. Combining both may help surgeons as a clinically easy-to-use tool for minimizing the prevalence of pulmonary complications after lung resection in elderly patients.

Index hospital cost of adverse events following thoracic surgery: a systematic review of economic literature

OBJECTIVES

Adverse events (AEs) following thoracic surgery place considerable strain on healthcare systems. A rigorous evaluation of the economic impact of thoracic surgical AEs remains lacking and is required to understand the value of money of formal quality improvement initiatives. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of all available literature focused on specific cost of postoperative AEs following thoracic surgery.

DESIGN

Systematic review of the economic literature was performed, following recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.

DATA SOURCES

An economic search filter developed by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health was applied, and MEDLINE, Embase and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 2022.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included English articles involving adult patients who underwent a thoracic surgical procedure with estimated costs of postoperative complications. Eligible study designs included comparative observational studies, randomised control trials, decision analytic or cost-prediction models, cost analyses, cost or burden of illness studies, economic evaluation studies and systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of cost analyses and cost of illness studies.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts in the first stage and full-text articles of included studies in the second stage. Disagreements during abstract and full-text screening stages were resolved via discussion until a consensus was reached. Studies were appraised for methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist.

RESULTS

3349 studies were identified: 20 met inclusion criteria. Most were conducted in the USA (12/20), evaluating AE impact on hospital expenditures (18/20). 68 procedure-specific AE mean costs were characterised (USD$). The most commonly described were anastomotic leak (mean:range) (USD$49 278:$6 176-$133 002) and pneumonia ($12 258:$2608-$34 591) following esophagectomy, and prolonged air leak ($2556:$571-$3573), respiratory failure ($19 062:$11 841-$37 812), empyema ($30 189:$23 784-$36 595), pneumonia ($15 362:$2542-$28 183), recurrent laryngeal nerve injury ($16 420:$4224-$28 616) and arrhythmia ($6835:$5833-$8659) following lobectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospital costs associated with AEs following thoracic surgery are substantial and varied. Quantifying costs of AEs enable future economic evaluation studies, which could help prioritising value-directed quality improvement to optimally improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Single Setting Robotic Lung Nodule Diagnosis and Resection

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Early tissue diagnosis followed by timely therapeutic procedures can have a significant impact on overall survival. While robotic-assisted lung resection is an established therapeutic procedure, robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is a more recent diagnostic procedure that improves reach, stability, and precision in the field of bronchoscopic lung nodule biopsy. The ability to combine lung cancer diagnostics with therapeutic surgical resection into a single-setting anesthesia procedure has the potential to decrease costs, improve patient experiences, and most importantly, reduce delays in cancer care.

Preventable operating room delays in robotic-assisted thoracic surgery: Identifying opportunities for cost reduction

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to characterize the types of intraoperative delays during robotic-assisted thoracic surgery, operating room staff awareness/perceptions of delays, and cost impact of delays on overall operative costs.

METHODS

Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery cases from May to August 2019 were attended by 3 third-party observers to record intraoperative delays. The postoperative surveys were given to operating room staff to elicit perceived delays. Observed versus perceived delays were compared using the McNemar test. Direct costs and charges per delay were calculated.

RESULTS

Forty-four cases were observed, of which a majority were lobectomies (n = 38 [86%]). A total of 71 delays were recorded by observers, encompassing 75% of cases (n = 33), with an average delay length of 3.6 minutes (±5.3 minutes). The following delays were observed: equipment failure (n = 40, average delay length 5.0 minutes (±6.5 minutes), equipment missing (n = 15, 2.2 minutes [±1.4 minutes]), staff unfamiliarity with equipment (n = 4, 3.4 minutes [± 1.5 minutes]), and other (n = 12, 4.5 minutes [±5.3 minutes]). The detection rates for any intraoperative delay were consistently lower for all of the operating room team members compared with observers, including surgeons (34.3% vs 77.1%; P = .0003), first assistants (41.9% vs 74.2%; P = .0075), surgical technologists (39.4% vs 72.7%; P = .0045), and circulating nurses (41.18% vs 76.47% minutes; P = .0013). The average operating room variable direct cost of delays based on the average total delay length per case was $225.52 (±$350.18) and was 1.6% (range 0-10.6%) of the total case charges.

CONCLUSION

The lack of perception of intraoperative delays hinders operating teams from effectively closing the variable cost gaps. Future studies are needed to explore methods of increasing perception of delays and opportunities to improve operating room efficiency.

[Analysis on the Incidence and Economic Burden of Patients with Lung Cancer]

BACKGROUND

The previous study has indicated that lung cancer has a high incidence and mortality in China, and has caused a large economic burden. The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence and economic burden of lung cancer by analyzing the information on the home page of discharge history of lung cancer patients in Hebei Tumor Hospital, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

METHODS

The information of all of the discharges, new cases, surgical patients, age, gender, length of stay and hospitalization cost of lung cancer patients in Hebei Tumor Hospital from January 2012 to December 2019 were retrieved based on the medical record management system, and the incidence trend, gender and age distribution as well as the economic burden of the disease were statistically described.

RESULTS

The number of new cases of lung cancer increased year by year, from 2,235 cases in 2012 to 5,012 cases in 2019. The number of males always outnumbered females, but the gender ratio decreased year by year, from 2.25 in 2012 to 1.56 in 2019. Among new cases of lung cancer, the proportion of surgical treatment increased year by year, from 28.14% in 2012 to 44.83% in 2019. Except for 2012, the proportion of surgical operations in female patients was higher than that in male patients from 2013 to 2019. The proportion of surgical operations in male and female patients was 23.52% and 28.07% in 2013, and 36.14% and 58.37% in 2019, respectively. The median age at the onset of lung cancer has increased year by year, from 61 years old in 2012 to 63 years old in 2019. The median age of onset in all lung cancer patients was higher in males than in females. The number of new lung cancer patients and surgical patients both showed an increasing trend with the increase of age, and both reached the maximum value in the age group of 60-69 years old. With the increase of age, the number of patients gradually decreased. The median length of hospital stay for all discharged lung cancer patients or surgical patients decreased year by year, from 10 d and 19 d in 2012 to 8 d and 17 d in 2019, respectively, while the median hospitalization cost increased year by year. It increased from 10,611.46 yuan and 38,750.13 yuan in 2012 to 17,187.15 yuan and 84,030.16 yuan in 2019, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Lung cancer is still one of the main cancers endangering the health of Chinese residents. The incidence of lung cancer is increasing year by year, and the distribution of gender and age has certain characteristics. In order to reduce the number of cases and the economic burden, effective prevention and control measures should be formulated and medical reform should be strengthened.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Robotic-assisted Lobectomy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Robot-assisted thoracic surgery has emerged as an alternative to video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for treating patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of robotic-assisted lobectomy (RAL) compared to VATS and open lobectomy for adults with NSCLC.

METHODS

A decision analysis model was employed to compare the cost-effectiveness of RAL, VATS, and open lobectomy with 1-year time horizon from both healthcare and societal perspectives. Healthcare costs (2020$) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were compared between the approaches. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated in terms of cost per QALY gained. Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify variables driving cost-effectiveness across several willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds.

RESULTS

Open thoracotomy was not cost-effective compared to both RAL and VATS lobectomy. From the healthcare sector perspective, RAL was $394.97 more expensive per case than VATS resulting in an ICER of $180,755.10 per QALY. From the societal perspective, RAL was $247.77 more expensive per case than VATS, resulting in an ICER of $113,388.80 per QALY. RAL becomes cost-effective with marginally lower robotic instrument costs, shorter operating room times, lower conversion rates, shorter lengths of stay, higher hospital volumes, and improved quality of life. RAL is also cost-effective if surgeons can increase the proportion of minimally invasive lobectomies using robotic technology.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to VATS, RAL is not cost-effective for lung cancer lobectomy at lower WTP thresholds. However, several factors may drive RAL to emerge as the more cost-effective approach for minimally invasive lung cancer resection.

Activity-Based Cost Analysis of Robotic Anatomic Lung Resection During Program Implementation

BACKGROUND

While robotic-assisted lung resection has seen a significant rise in adoption, concerns remain regarding initial programmatic outcomes and potential increased costs. We present our initial outcomes and cost analysis since initiation of a robotic lung resection program.

METHODS

Patients undergoing either video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy or segmentectomy (VATS) or robotic-assisted lobectomy or segmentectomy (RALS) between August of 2014 and January of 2017 underwent retrospective review. Patients underwent 1:1 propensity matching based on preoperative characteristics. Perioperative and 30-day outcomes were compared between groups. Detailed activity-based costing analysis was performed on individual patient encounters taking into effect direct and indirect controllable costs, including robotic operative supplies.

RESULTS

There were no differences in 30-day mortality between RALS (n = 74) and VATS (n = 74) groups (0% vs 1.4%; P = 1). RALS patients had a decreased median length of stay (4 days vs 7 days; P < .001) and decreased median chest tube duration (3 days vs 5 days, P < .001). Total direct costs, including direct supply costs, were not significantly different between RALS and VATS ($6621 vs $6483; P = .784). Median total operating costs and total unit support costs, which are closely correlated to length of stay, were lower in the RALS group. Overall median controllable costs were significantly different between RALS and VATS ($16,352 vs $21,154; P = .025).

CONCLUSIONS

A potentially cost-advantageous robotic-assisted pulmonary resection program can be initiated within the context of an existing minimally invasive thoracic surgery program while maintaining good clinical outcomes when compared with traditional VATS. Process-of-care changes associated with RALS may account for decreased costs in this setting.

Cost-effectiveness evaluation of robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery versus open thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for operable non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) over open thoracotomy (OT) and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the perspective of Chinese healthcare payer.

METHODS

The Markov decision model was developed to assess the 5-year costs and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of RATS versus OT and VATS for operable NSCLC patients. The propensity-matched cohorts were generated from our clinical center to determine the surgical costs and complication rates. An individual patient data meta-analysis was conducted to estimate model probabilities of progression and survival risks. Other model inputs were abstracted from available studies. The primary outcome was incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs).

RESULTS

RATS contributed to an incremental 0.28 QALYs at an additional cost of $3,104.82, making for an ICER of $10,967.41 per QALY versus OT. Robotic approach harvested an incremental 0.05 QALYs at an additional cost of $4006.86, making for an ICER of $80324.98 per QALY over VATS. RATS shown a same cost-effectiveness probability (0.50) versus OT and VATS at a willing-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $12,000 per QALY and $75,800 per QALY, respectively. The probabilities of cost-effectiveness for RATS were 0.64 and 0.21 at a presupposed WTP threshold of $ 30,000 per QALY versus OT and VATS, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

RATS was evaluated to be cost-effective versus OT for patients with operable NSCLC from the perspective of Chinese healthcare payer. To the contrary, robotic approach was associated with less cost-effective than VATS.

Robotic thoracic surgery for non-small cell lung cancer: initial experience in Brazil

Objective:

To describe the morbidity, mortality, and rate of complete resection associated with robotic surgery for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in Brazil, as well as to report the rates of overall survival and disease-free survival in patients so treated.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung carcinoma and undergoing resection by robotic surgery at one of six hospitals in Brazil between February of 2015 and July of 2018. Data were collected retrospectively from the electronic medical records.

Results:

A total of 154 patients were included. The mean age was 65 ± 9.5 years (range, 30-85 years). The main histological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma, which was identified in 128 patients (81.5%), followed by epidermoid carcinoma, identified in 14 (9.0%). Lobectomy was performed in 133 patients (86.3%), and segmentectomy was performed in 21 (13.7%). The mean operative time was 209 ± 80 min. Postoperative complications occurred in 32 patients (20.4%). The main complication was air leak, which occurred in 15 patients (9.5%). The median (interquartile range) values for hospital stay and drainage time were 4 days (3-6 days) and 2 days (2-4 days), respectively. There was one death in the immediate postoperative period (30-day mortality rate, 0.5%). The mean follow-up period was 326 ± 274 days (range, 3-1,110 days). Complete resection was achieved in 97.4% of the cases. Overall mortality was 1.5% (3 deaths), and overall survival was 97.5%.

Conclusions:

Robotic pulmonary resection proved to be a safe treatment for lung cancer. Longer follow-up periods are required in order to assess long-term survival.

Patient Satisfaction After Lung Cancer Surgery: Do Clinical Outcomes Affect Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems Scores?

BACKGROUND

Little is known about patients' hospital experience and satisfaction after lung cancer surgery. We sought to determine how length of hospital stay (LOS) and postoperative complications affect hospital consumer assessment of health care providers and systems (HCAHPS) scores.

METHODS

Patients undergoing lung resection for cancer at a single academic cancer center between years 2014 and 2018 were analyzed. Clinical data were derived from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons institutional database and supplemented with HCAHPS survey data. Endpoints were "top-box" satisfaction scores and domain-specific scores for physicians and nurses communication.

RESULTS

In total, 181 of 478 patients (38%) who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer completed HCAHPS surveys. Median age was 65 years, and most patients underwent lobectomy (94%). The top-box rating for the overall hospital experience, physician communication, and nurse communication were 92%, 84%, and 69%, respectively. Overall and major complication rates were 43% and 3%, and were not associated with top-box HCAHPS scores. Increasing length of stay was associated with worse satisfaction with provider communication. Adjusted for patient factors, increasing length of stay was associated with worse patient satisfaction in the domains of communication with physicians and nurses. Patients with length of stay more than 6 days were less likely to endorse that doctors gave understandable explanations (odds ratio 0.15, 95% confidence interval, 0.04 to 0.56) and that nurses listened carefully (odds ratio 0.11, 95% confidence interval, 0.06 to 0.69).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall HCAHPS satisfaction scores after lung resection for cancer were high and were negatively associated with increasing length of stay. Patient satisfaction may be affected more by the perception of effective communication during prolonged hospitalizations than by complications.

Hospital cost and clinical effectiveness of robotic-assisted versus video-assisted thoracoscopic and open lobectomy: A propensity score-weighted comparison

OBJECTIVE

To compare cost and perioperative outcomes of robotic, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and open surgical approaches to pulmonary lobectomy.

METHODS

Patients who underwent pulmonary lobectomy between 2012 and 2017 at a single tertiary referral center were reviewed. Propensity score adjustment by inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance baseline patient characteristics. The primary outcomes of the study were direct hospital cost and perioperative outcomes, including operative time, complications rates, and length of stay. Indirect cost and charges were secondary financial outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 697 patients underwent pulmonary lobectomy by robotic (n = 296), VATS (n = 161), and open thoracotomy (n = 240). In the IPTW-adjusted analysis, open thoracotomy had the shortest mean operating room time (robotic 278 minutes vs VATS 298 minutes vs open 265 minutes, P = .05), and lowest operating room costs (robotic $9,912 vs VATS $9491 vs open $8698, P = .001). Length of stay was significantly shorter after robotic and VATS lobectomy (robotic 3.8 days vs VATS 3.8 days vs open 5.4 days, P < .001), with significantly fewer events of atelectasis and pneumonia as compared with the open group. In sum, no significant differences were seen in IPTW-adjusted direct cost (robotic $17,223 vs VATS $17,260 vs open $18,075, P = .48), indirect cost, or charges for the total hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS

Robotic and VATS lobectomy were associated with similar cost and improved clinical effectiveness as compared with the open thoracotomy approach. Increased procedural cost of minimally invasive lobectomy can be recovered by postoperative costs reductions, associated with improved postoperative outcomes and shorter hospital stay.