Cost-effectiveness of laparoscopic vs open adrenalectomy: small savings in an expensive process.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Nowadays, laparoscopy has become the approach of choice for adrenalectomy, especially in cases of benign tumors <6 cm. The authors have studied, in a retrospective trial, two groups of patients who have undergone an adrenalectomy: 10 consecutive patients operated on by an open approach and 10 consecutive patients operated on by laparoscopy.

METHODS: Laparoscopic adrenalectomies were performed via a transabdominal lateral approach, whereas open adrenalectomies were performed via an anterior transabdominal or posterior retroperitoneal approach. Clinical outcomes were recorded, and special attention was paid to the costs of both techniques, collecting economic data from the costs in outpatient visits, blood and urine tests, diagnostic imaging, hospital admissions prior to surgery, hospital admission for surgery, and surgical expenses.

RESULTS: Operative time (110 vs 123 minutes), length of postoperative stay (3.7 vs 5.8 days), and time to oral intake (1 vs 2 days) were significantly lower in the laparoscopic group. From the economic point of view, however, there were no significant differences between laparoscopic and open groups (6,306 vs 7,581), and only surgical inhospital stay costs were significantly lower in the laparoscopic series (742 vs 1,191). All the costs generated by surgery (hospital admission for surgery plus surgical expenses) were smaller in the laparoscopic group but constituted only a small part of the general expenses for these patients. The more expensive part of the budget for every patient was the hospital admissions prior to surgery for diagnosis or preoperative treatment.

CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy is a safe and comfortable approach for adrenalectomy and should be the technique of choice. From the economic point of view, laparoscopic adrenalectomy is cheaper than open adrenalectomy, but in all cases, surgical costs are only a minimal part of the budget, and the greater savings must come from the reduction in the presurgical diagnostic process.