title: Impact of robotic operative efficiency on profitability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the impact of robotic operative efficiency on profitability and assess the impact of secondary variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Financial data were collected for all robotic cases performed for fiscal years 2010 (FY10) and 2011 (FY11) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and included 9 surgical subspecialties. Profitability was defined as a positive operating income.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From July 2009 through June 2011, 1295 robotic cases were performed. Robotic surgery was profitable in both fiscal years, with an operating income of $386,735 in FY10 and $822,996 in FY11. In FY10, urogynecology and pediatric surgery were the only nonprofitable subspecialties. In FY11, all subspecialties were profitable. Profitability was associated with case time, payor mix, and procedure type (all P < .05). Urogynecology case time decreased from 220-179 minutes (P = .012) and pediatric surgery from 418-258 minutes (P = .019).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Robotic operative efficiency has a large impact on overall profitability regardless of surgical specialty.
authors.affiliation: Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: egeller@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics*; D009657:North Carolina; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012371:Robotics / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
keywords: cost; efficiency; robotic surgery