Microvascular Breast Reconstruction in the Era of Value-Based Care: Use of a Cosurgeon Is Associated with Reduced Costs, Improved Outcomes, and Added Value

Abstract

Background: Reducing complications while controlling costs is a central tenet of value-based health care. Bilateral microvascular breast reconstruction is a long operation with a relatively high complication rate. Using a two-surgeon team has been shown to improve safety in bilateral microvascular breast reconstruction; however, its impact on cost and efficiency has not been robustly studied. The authors hypothesized that a cosurgeon for bilateral microvascular breast reconstruction is safe, effective, and associated with reduced costs. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent bilateral microvascular breast reconstruction with either a single surgeon or surgeon/cosurgeon team over an 18-month period. Charges were converted to costs using the authors' institutional cost-to-charge ratio. Surgeon opportunity costs were estimated using time-driven activity-based costing. Propensity scoring controlled for baseline characteristics between the two groups. A locally weighted logistic regression model analyzed the cosurgeon's impact on outcomes and costs. Results: The authors included 150 bilateral microvascular breast reconstructions (60 single-surgeon and 90 surgeon/cosurgeon reconstructions) with a median follow-up of 15 months. After matching, the presence of a cosurgeon was associated with a significantly reduced mean operative duration (change in operative duration, -107 minutes; p < 0.001) and cost (change in total cost, -$1101.50; p < 0.001), which was even more pronounced when surgeon/cosurgeon teams worked together frequently (change in operative duration, -132 minutes; change in total cost, -$1389; p = 0.007). The weighted logistic regression models identified that a cosurgeon was protective against breast-site complications and trended toward reduced overall and major complication rates. Conclusion: The practice of using a of cosurgeon appears to be associated with reduced costs and improved outcomes, thereby potentially adding value to bilateral microvascular breast reconstruction.