Establishment of a minimally invasive surgery program leads to decreased inpatient cost of care in veterans with colon cancer.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the establishment of a minimally invasive surgery program on the cost of care at the investigators' institution. It was hypothesized that a minimally invasive surgery program would decrease overall inpatient treatment costs for veterans with colon cancer.

Methods: All patients who were admitted for colon cancer surgery in fiscal year 2009 were included in this study. The main outcome measures were inpatient treatment cost and length of stay.

Results: The median inpatient cost incurred in the laparoscopic colectomy group was 33% ($6,000, P < .01) less than the in open colectomy group. The median length of hospital stay and operative time were also shorter by 31% (3.5 days, P < .05) and 37% (108 minutes, P < .01), respectively, in the laparoscopic colectomy group.

Conclusions: In this study, colon cancer patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery for colon cancer experienced shorter hospital stay and operative times, which resulted in lower overall inpatient treatment cost.