title: [Robot-assisted surgery on a broad front--without evidence for being cost-effective].
abstract: Robot-assisted surgery on a broad front - without evidence for being cost-effective Robot-assisted surgery is currently heavily marketed. The HTA centre in Region Västra Götaland has produced five HTA reports regarding use of robot-assisted surgery in different clinical situations (prostatic cancer, benign gynaecological surgery, pediatric pyeloplasty and fundoplication, and rectal cancer), finding weak evidence for a patient value. The current report by Per Carlsson et al confirms that robot-assisted surgery indeed leads to increased costs that are not balanced by augmented patient value, i.e. robot-assisted surgery cannot be regarded as cost efficient. We comment critically on the capricious introduction of new techniques/devices, a procedure that stands in sharp contrast to the strictly formalized system for approval of new drugs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine - Göteborg, Sweden Institute of Medicine - Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sjövall
authors.affiliation: Hälsometri vid Sahlgrenska Akademin - Göteborg, Sweden Hälsometri vid Sahlgrenska Akademin - Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Josefine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Persson
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical