Abstract
Objectives:
Determine the current cost impact and financial outcomes of robot-assisted surgery in otolaryngology.
Methods:
A systematic review of the literature with a defined search strategy. Using keywords robotic or robot, ENT or otolaryngology, cost or economic, transoral robotic surgery or TORS, and thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy, searches were performed on PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar, and reviewed by the authors for inclusion in the study.
Results:
A total of 4 papers were identified as being appropriate for analysis. Two addressed cost impact and financial outcome of robotic thyroidectomy, 1 the cost impact and financial outcome of transoral robotic surgery, and a fourth included otolaryngology robotic surgeries in the profitability analysis of robotic surgery but did not specify case or procedure types. Analyses found robotic thyroidectomy cost prohibitive, though transoral robotic surgery was financially sustainable, as overall costs of care are decreased from reduced length of stay.
Conclusions:
There are diverging cost impact and economic outcomes being reported in robot-assisted surgery in otolaryngology. These trends should inform our decisions as to where robotic surgery should be focused to garner greatest cost and economic benefit.
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