Cost-effective, minimally invasive surgery

  With the rapid socio-economic development, economic benefits are increasingly valued, and so is the medical field. The rapid advancement of medical technology has solved one medical problem after another, but its high cost often discourages some patients.  With the help of advanced thoracoscopic imaging systems and special surgical instruments, experienced surgeons can make thoracoscopic surgery not only meet the safety standards of conventional surgery, but also have more advantages in clearing lymph nodes and other aspects. However, the cost of thoracoscopic surgery is often about 20,000 yuan more expensive than conventional open-heart surgery (the cost of thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery is about 70,000 to 80,000 yuan, while the cost of conventional open-heart surgery is about 50,000 to 60,000 yuan). In clinical practice, we often encounter patients who are suitable for thoracoscopic surgery, but because of financial reasons, they can only choose conventional open-heart surgery which is more damaging. How can we take advantage of the advanced thoracoscopic technology and at the same time reduce the cost? Sharp questions were put in front of our team, and after continuous research and practice, we found a practical solution. This method is suitable for some patients with uncomplicated surgery, and brings down the cost of surgery by about 10,000 without affecting the safety and operation of the procedure.  For example, Zhao**, a 64-year-old male patient diagnosed with peripheral type lung cancer in the lower lobe of the left lung, underwent thoracoscopic resection of the lower lobe of the left lung and mediastinal lymph node contouring on 2015-12-*. The patient’s lung fissures were well differentiated, and the inferior pulmonary artery trunk, inferior pulmonary vein, and lower lobe bronchus were treated intraoperatively with a cutting closure without compromising surgical safety and operation, using a total of 3 staple bins (1 staple bin costs about 2400, and 5-6 staple bins are usually required for lower lobe resection). The total cost of the patient was 65,000 RMB and he was discharged successfully. This method saved the patient about 10,000 RMB.  Zhang**, a 55-year-old male patient, was diagnosed with central lung cancer in the lower lobe of the right lung and underwent thoracoscopic resection of the middle and lower lobes of the right lung with mediastinal lymph node contouring on 2015-12-*. The patient’s lung fissure was incompletely differentiated, and without compromising surgical safety and operation, the oblique and horizontal fissures were treated intraoperatively with a cutting closure (2 staple bins), the arterial branches of the middle and lower lobes were treated together (1 staple bin), the middle and lower lobe veins were treated together (1 staple bin), and the middle bronchus was treated (1 staple bin), with a total of 5 staple bins (1 staple bin costs 2400, and middle and lower lobectomy usually requires 9 staple bins) . The total cost of the patient was $60,000 and he was discharged successfully. This approach saved the patient approximately $10,000.  For some patients with uncomplicated surgery, our team used this surgical approach to reduce the cost of surgery and bring a boon to some patients with financial difficulties.