The cost of surgical treatments may be a contentious and politically heated topic. As a consequence, medical professionals are searching for efficiencies to cut costs at all levels without compromising the efficacy of surgical procedures or the safety of patients. This article will make an attempt to evaluate the overall expenses of utilizing single use instruments against sterilizing reusable surgical instruments for numerous procedures. This topic has been the subject of much discussion, and this page will attempt to shed some light on the reusable vs single use instruments.
Reusable Surgical Equipment Comparison with Single Use Instruments
It is intrinsically simple to compute the actual cost incurred for each utilization of single use instruments. You can obtain an accurate picture of the cost associated with each type of surgical procedure by performing the following calculation: multiply the total cost of the number of single use instruments that were utilized in the surgical procedure by the price per unit of the single use instruments. You might want to take into account the costs of disposal as well as administrative costs (such as the amount of time it takes the purchasing manager to locate the product and place the order), but they are rather insignificant and are absorbed by the processes. and practices that are standard in the majority of medical facilities.
Process of Calculating the Costs
The process of calculating the costs associated with reusable surgical instruments is significantly murkier. This is not only due to the fact that different reusable instruments are only able to be reused a certain number of times, and this varies from instrument to instrument, but there are also a number of costs that are not so hidden. which, despite the fact that they should be, are not often taken into consideration when calculating the total cost of reusable surgical tools.
According to the findings of a study that compared the financial and logistical benefits of using single use instruments vs reusable pliers, the total cost per user of single use instruments was determined to be only $38. The cost of using the reusable clamps was calculated to be $415 per usage.
The Costs of Using Reused Surgical instruments, which are not so Concealed
The surface cost of any reusable surgical device should be calculated as the cost of the instrument multiplied by the number of times it can be used. This is the simplest form of the calculation. However, due to a variety of factors, this calculation should not be trusted.
To begin, the tool needs to be disinfected and cleaned before it can be used more than once. This process has a cost associated with it, which is passed on to the facility that reuses the surgical instruments. In this context, “logistical aspects and errors that accompany the use of reusable instruments” refers to the process of managing the journey of reusable surgical instruments from the operating room to the sterilization unit and then back to the operating room again. These errors can occur as a result of the management of the “journey” of the instrument (possibly via a storage unit along the way). Things like reusable surgical equipment going extinct in larger organizations, like hospitals, is not shocking and shouldn’t be a surprise (thereby negating the cost-benefit of buying reusable products in the first place).
Disadvantages of Reusable Instruments
Second, the efficacy of reusable surgical instruments over a period of time, along with other potential pitfalls related to their use, might add large hidden costs and recognizable dangers to the procedure of using these instruments. Consider the case of a reusable surgical instrument: Would it be as effective on the thirty-first time it was used as it was on the first? In addition, how successful are the processes of re-sterilization that are used for reusable surgical instruments? If these processes are unsuccessful, what are the implications for healthcare facilities and the personnel who work in them in the event that infections are spread between patients?
The Danger and Expense Involved With Cross-Infection
In one particular respect, it is impossible to evaluate the cost of cross-infection that is generated by reusable surgical equipment. This is because the cost to counter or treat the infection totally determines how much it will cost. In any event, there is always a risk for a patient because no institution can guarantee a 100% success rate when re-sterilizing medical instruments. In light of this fact, what cost do you give to the patient’s safety and health as a result?
Final Thought:
In spite of this fact, research has been conducted to determine how much money facilities lose due to surgical site contamination. Since these devices have been used directly on one patient and subsequently on another, the risk is constantly present and depends on the success of the sterilization process. Of course, such contamination can also come from other factors apart from the availability of reusable surgical equipment.