Abstract
Segmentectomy is noninferior to lobectomy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its cost advantage remains unclear. We retrospectively reviewed patients undergoing lobectomy or segmentectomy between 2023 and 2025. High-cost disposable materials (≥ 15,000 JPY) were analyzed. Among 400 patients (lobectomy, n = 346; segmentectomy, n = 54), median total material costs were similar (473,370 vs. 480,420 JPY; ratio, 1.01; p = 0.87). Median stapler-related costs were also comparable (290,730 vs. 299,265 JPY; ratio, 1.03; p = 0.94). The costs were similar in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, whereas segmentectomy tended to be more expensive in robotic-assisted procedures (ratio, 1.11). Segmentectomy did not reduce the material costs compared with lobectomy, which may have implications for evaluating surgical value.