Hospital costs associated with inpatient versus outpatient awake craniotomy for resection of brain tumors.

BACKGROUND: With increasing fiscal restraints on health care systems, procedural cost-effectiveness has become an important metric for evaluating surgical procedures. While outpatient craniotomy has been shown to be safe and effective, the economic implications of this procedure has yet to be examined. Here, we present the first cost analysis comparing inpatient versus outpatient awake craniotomy for tumor resection/biopsy.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review on consecutive patients undergoing awake craniotomy for tumor resection/biopsy at a publicly funded tertiary care center from Sept 2014 to Aug 2015. Patient demographics, comorbidities and surgical factors were recorded. Direct and indirect costs for each patient visit were calculated based on institutional records.

RESULTS: A total of 50 consecutive patients undergoing awake craniotomy for tumor resection were included in this study (29 outpatients, 21 inpatients). Rates of complications and 30-day readmission were similar between groups. The total costs associated with inpatient surgery were nearly double that of outpatient surgery ($10649 versus $5242, P < 0.001). In-patient surgery resulted in a nearly 6-fold increase in unit/bed costs compared to out-patient surgery ($4142 versus $758, P < 0.001). There were no differences in the costs incurred from the operating room, laboratory, or anesthesia departments.

CONCLUSIONS: Costs associated with outpatient craniotomy are nearly half compared to inpatient craniotomy and this is largely driven by reductions in bed resource utilization and allied health services. Outpatient neurosurgery for tumor resection is therefore a safe and feasible option for appropriately selected patients and confers an overall cost reduction.