Table of contents

  • Summary 
  • Introduction
    • Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
    • Outline of the study
  • Canadian data on cholecystectomies
    • Sources of data
    • Diffusion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy adoption in Canadian hospitals  
    • Numbers of cholecystectomies performed  across Canada, 1987-88 to 1991-92
    • Proportion of cholecystectomies performed  by laparoscopy  and comparative costs
    • Credentialing considerations
  • Australian data on cholecystectomies
    • Methods  used
    • Numbers  and costs of procedures
    • Comparison of trends  in each country
    • Trends in surgery rates
    • Impact on costs of health programs
    • Impact on costs to patients
    • Estimates of proportions of potential savings achieved
  •  Discussion 
  • Appendices
    • Derivation of estimates for numbers  and costs of cholecystectomies undertaken in Canada
    • Derivation of estimates of numbers and costs of cholecystectomies in Australia
    • Estimates of costs to patients and proportions of potential savings achieved
    • Values for costs of laparoscopic cholecystectomies cited in the literature
  • References  
  • Acknowledgments