Robotic-Assisted and Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy: Comparing Operative Times, Costs and Outcomes

Objectives: To compare operative times, hospital costs, and surgical outcomes for robotic-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (RALSC) and laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC). Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 104 subjects who underwent RALSC (n = 43) or LSC (n = 61) for vaginal vault prolapse was performed. The primary outcomes were operative time and hospital costs. The secondary outcomes included blood loss, complications, and objective cure rates. chi(2) and t tests were used. Results: The mean operative time was longer in RALSC than in LSC (281 +/- 58 vs 206 +/- 42 minutes; P < 0.001) with setup time accounting for only 9 minutes of this difference. Direct costs (expressed in cost units) for hospital stay were similar (437 +/- 88 vs 450 +/-+/- 119 units; P = 0.738) while surgical costs remained higher for RALSC (2724 T 413 vs 2295 T 342 units; P < 0.01). Blood loss and complications were similar, and objective cure was not significantly different for RALSC vs LSC (90% vs 80%, P = 0.19). Conclusions: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy achieves similar perioperative outcomes compared to LSC with increased surgical time resulting in increased costs.