[Relative anesthesia-cost for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: fairly low].
OBJECTIVE
The relative contribution of anesthesia costs to total perioperative costs is not known precisely. The goal of this prospective study was to measure the proportion of anesthesia costs relative to total hospital costs of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for in-patients.


METHODS
With Institutional approval, the total hospital costs of elective LC for 62 ASA I-III patients were analyzed. All direct and indirect variable costs, including salaries of anesthesia and surgery teams, were obtained for each patient. Data are expressed as mean +/- SEM.


RESULTS
Intraoperative anesthesia costs as a percentage of the total hospital costs equaled 10.5 +/- 0.3%. Postanesthesia care unit (PACU) cost was 3.1 +/- 0.2%. The largest hospital cost category was the operating room with 37.4 +/- 0.6%. The costs attributed to the ward equaled 31.3 +/- 3%. Other costs were generated by radiology (6.2 +/- 1.1%), laboratory (5.4 +/- 0.7%), admission unit (3.4 +/- 0.2%), pharmacy (2.0 +/- 0.4%) and administration (0.7 +/- 0.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
Even if salaries are included, anesthesia and PACU costs (13.6%) represent a small portion only of total hospital costs. Cost savings thus may result from improving operating room efficiency and shortening of hospitalisation rather than programs aiming at lowering anesthesia costs.
Pradervand Mooser
Michèle
M
Du Service d'Anesthésiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Suisse, France.
Gardaz
Jean-Patrice
JP
Capt
Hélène
H
Spahn
Donat R
DR
D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000191:economics*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000191:economics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011997:Recovery Room / Q000191:economics
Le coût relatif de l'anesthésie pour la cholécystectomie laparoscopique est peu élevé.