High Reusable Endoscope Costs Pave the Way for Disposable Endoscopes

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Operating costs represent only a small portion of the total cost of reusable endoscope procedures, according to a new report from Millennium Research Group (MRG). MRG has completed a thorough analysis of the per-procedure cost of reusable rigid endoscopes; by surveying operating room (OR) managers in both hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers across the U.S., MRG determined that the purchase cost of a rigid endoscope represents only a small portion of the total per-procedure cost of the device. According to a new MRG report, U.S. Rigid Endoscope Cost Analysis, the total average cost of a reusable rigid endoscope is more than $150 per procedure.

Historically, the initial purchase cost of a rigid endoscope was regarded as the most significant cost associated with the device. MRG has discovered, however, that the greatest costs associated with rigid endoscope ownership are actually attributable to scope backup, repair, refurbishment, sterilization, and OR downtime. These results are similar across all major rigid endoscope types, including laparoscopes, arthroscopes, urological rigid scopes, ENT rigid scopes, rigid bronchoscopes, and rigid hysteroscopes.

"On average, these costs contribute an additional 650 percent to the reusable rigid endoscope purchase cost over the lifespan of the device," says Barbara Prudhomme, senior analyst at MRG. "Facilities may therefore find it less expensive to purchase disposable endoscopes."

Source: Millennium Research Group