Table 3.

The difference of cost for RATS with the Japanese public health insurance system since April 2012

Procedure		Change in cost in procedures performed in Japan $1 = ¥80, average exchange rate Mar.2010-Jul.2012
		The dVS operation was performed 100 times in a year		The dVS operation was performed 200 times in a year		The dVS operation was performed 300 times in a year
		Including robot (price of "Excluding robot + $11675)		Including robot (price of "Excluding robot + $7625)		Including robot (price of "Excluding robot + $6275)
		Benign	Malignant	Benign	Malignant	Benign	Malignant
Thymectomy	Thymectomy	$16300	Simple resection $16300	$12250	Simple resection $12250	$10900	Simple resection $10900
	Extended thymectomy		Extended resection $18678		Extended resection $14628		Extended resection $13278
Resection of tumor A. Mediastinal B. Chest wall	Open surgical procedures	A. $13988	A. $16100	A. $9938	A. $12050	A. $8588	A. $10700
	VATS	B. $13000	B. $14388	B. $8950	B. $10338	B. $7600	B. $8988
Lobectomy	Open surgical procedures	$18969	$20755	$14919	$16705	$13569	$15355
	VATS

Table 3 shows the differences in cost for dVS surgery for 100, 200 or 300 robotic cases per year at 1 institution with the projected JNHIS reimbursement system. RATS: robot-assisted thoracic surgery; dVS: da Vinci® Surgical System; VATS: video-assisted thoracic surgery; JNHIS: Japanese National Health Insurance System