Journal of endourology
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Journal of endourology · Dec 2020
Ambulatory-Based Bladder Outlet Procedures Offer Significant Cost Savings and Comparable 30-Day Outcomes Relative to Inpatient Procedures.
Introduction and Objectives: Budgetary constraints and novel minimally invasive surgical approaches have resulted in surgical care being increasingly provided at ambulatory centers rather than traditional inpatient settings. Despite increasing use of ambulatory-based procedure for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) procedures, little is known about the effect of care setting on perioperative outcomes and costs. We sought to compare 30-day readmissions rates and costs of BOO procedure performed in the ambulatory vs inpatient setting. Methods: Using Florida and New York all-payer data from the 2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Databases, we identified patients who underwent transurethral resection, thermotherapy, or laser/photovaporization for BOO. ⋯ Ambulatory procedures are significantly less costly than procedures performed in the inpatient setting, even after accounting for ambulatory procedures leading to an admission. There is an obvious cost benefit of offering BOO procedure in the ambulatory setting to the appropriate patient. In the context of value-based health care initiatives, our findings have important implications for policymakers seeking to reduce variation in nonclinical sources of perioperative costs and outcomes.