Study: MIS vs open surgery in Medicare population

Editor's Note

In this study led by Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) was associated with better outcomes than open procedures in the Medicare population.

Of 233,984 Medicare patients who had one of seven common surgical procedures, 102,729 had open procedures and 131,255 had MIS procedures.

Among the findings:

• The incidence of complications after MIS was lower for five of the seven procedures.
•  Readmission was lower after MIS for six of the procedures
• MIS was associated with shorter length of stay (0.35 to 2.47 days shorter) for six procedures.
• Costs for MIS were lower ($3,010.23 to $4,832.74 per procedure) for four procedures.
• Medicare reimbursements were lower ($841.10 to $939.69 less per procedure) for three procedures.

The findings show that MIS may represent a better quality and cost proposition in Medicare population, the researchers say.

Background Despite strong evidence demonstrating the clinical and economic benefits of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), utilization of MIS in the Medicare population is highly variable and tends to...

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