Clinical and Economic Impact of 3D Volumetric Reconstruction in Major Abdominal Surgery Planning: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis of Outcomes and Reimbursement Policies
Author Block: L. A. Alyahya, D. Aljohani, F. Alqarni; Jeddah/SA
Purpose: (3D)volumetric reconstruction has emerged as a transformative tool in surgical planning.Its clinical precision is well documented,but its economic justification and reimbursement integration remain poorly established
Methods or Background: This PRISMA-guided systematic review analyzed clinical,economic,and reimbursement outcomes from 19 studies across hepatobiliary,colorectal,thoracic,neurosurgical, and orthopedic oncology.Quality appraisal employed ROBINS-I,RoB 2,AMSTAR-2,and NIH tools.
Results or Findings: Across 3,402 hepatectomy cases (Zeng et al., 2024),3D-assisted planning significantly reduced operative time,morbidity, and postoperative liver failure while improving recurrence-free survival (RFS PSM p=0.043; IPTW p<0.001).Prospective hepatobiliary data (Yao et al., 2024, n=62)showed halved complication indices (CCI 8.7 vs. 20.9) and reduced major complications(6.5% vs. 22.6%). Randomized evidence(Lu et al., 2023, n=50) confirmed shorter operative time(118.4±28.2 vs. 142.7±25.6 min),reduced blood loss (82.5±19.3 vs. 126.2±27.4 mL),and decreased length of stay(9.5 vs. 10.9 days).Similar benefits were observed in colorectal, thoracic, and pancreatic surgeries.Economic modeling (Ballard et al., 2020) estimated per-case savings of $3,720 for 3D models and $1,488 for surgical guides based on OR time reduction.Model costs ranged <$1–$146 per unit (Serrano et al., 2020).Despite clear perioperative benefits, 68% of included studies exhibited moderate-to-high risk of bias,and reimbursement remained inconsistent,with most payers classifying 3D reconstruction as investigational.
Conclusion: 3D volumetric reconstruction improves operative efficiency and precision across major surgeries,offering potential cost savings. However,heterogeneous evidence and fragmented reimbursement policies hinder its widespread,economically sustainable adoption in surgical practice.
Limitations: Future integration should prioritize three areas.One is rigorous randomized evidence to solidify causal inference,especially regarding long-term survival and cost-effectiveness.Another is standardized reporting of segmentation time,printing cost,and workflow requirements,enabling comparative economic analyses across systems.Finally, policy frameworks should evolve toward recognizing 3D reconstruction as a distinct reimbursable service when clinical evidence supports measurable benefit.Pilot bundled-payment models or demonstration projects could provide the necessary health economic data to bridge the current evidence-policy gap.
Funding for this study: No Funding
Has your study been approved by an ethics committee? Not applicable
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