cally provide 10 uses
each, run about $2,500,
or about $250 per use.
If you use 2 or 3 instru-
ments per case, and
add in $300 to $500 for
mesh, you're likely
looking at $1,200 or
$1,300 of pure cost per
case, not including the
cost of the robot. That's
close to what Medicare
pays a surgery center
for an inguinal hernia.
And most in-network
insurance companies
reimburse at about the
same rate.
To me, the best of
both worlds is to be
proficient at both
laparoscopic hernia repair and robotic hernia repair. In my practice, I
usually don't offer robotic repair with mesh if it's the patient's first
time with a hernia repair. I still prefer laparoscopic surgery. It's fast,
and I can do it in an outpatient center, whereas, for the reasons
above, I have to take robotic cases to the hospital, which is a little
more cumbersome. But if a first-time patient has a really large
inguinal hernia, or a large direct inguinal hernia, I may opt for the
robot. I also prefer the robot for revisional surgery when a laparo-
scopic repair has failed, or when there's a complication with a laparo-
A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 9
• PAYBACK Robotic hernia repairs can be less expensive to perform than
laparoscopic repairs, because they require fewer disposables.
