Study: Minimally-Invasive Surgery Outcomes More Favorable Versus Traditional Open Surgery

DETROIT – Minimally-invasive surgery leads to more favorable 30-day postoperative outcomes versus traditional open surgery, according to a study led by physicians from the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital.

The study examined 30-day postoperative outcomes of both minimally-invasive surgery and traditional open surgery for five common procedures, including appendectomy, colectomy, inguinal hernia repair, hysterectomy and prostatectomy. The outcomes tracked by the study included complications, unplanned readmissions, hospital stay and mortality. More than 300,000 patients were part of the study.

The findings indicate that minimally-invasive surgery was associated with significantly lower 30-day postoperative complications, unplanned readmissions and deaths, as well as shorter hospital stays, in patients undergoing colectomy, prostatectomy, hysterectomy or appendectomy. No benefits were noted for inguinal hernia repair.

“Our study utilized data from a nationwide surgical quality improvement initiative and sought to provide real-world findings. We expected some of the results, but the extent and consistency of the benefits associated with minimally-invasive surgery across 4 of the 5 studied procedures surprised us,” said Akshay Sood, M.D., Henry Ford Hospital resident and co-author of the study.

The findings also suggest that from an economic perspective, minimally-invasive surgery may be more cost-effective than traditional open surgery because complications and unplanned readmissions represent the major drivers of treatment costs, according to the study.

To learn more about minimally-invasive surgery at Henry Ford Health System, please visit henryford.com/services/surgery/types/minimally-invasive.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jeff Adkins

586-307-2027

Jadkins6@hfhs.org