Laura J. Havrilesky
Duke Medical Center, Duke University, Duke University Hospital
Papers
10
Total Citations
590
H-Index
8
About
Laura J. Havrilesky is a leading gynecologic oncologist and health services researcher whose work has fundamentally reshaped the cost-effectiveness and quality of care for women with gynecologic cancers. Her research focuses on surgical outcomes, healthcare economics, and the implementation of minimally invasive techniques in gynecologic oncology. Havrilesky is best known for her pioneering cost-comparison analyses, including a landmark 2010 study (180 citations) that modeled the costs of robotic, laparoscopic, and open hysterectomy for endometrial cancer, demonstrating that robotic surgery was not cost-effective compared to laparoscopy. She extended this work to sacrocolpopexy and myomectomy, consistently showing that robotic assistance adds significant expense without clear clinical benefit. Havrilesky also co-authored the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s consensus statement on robotic surgery (97 citations), helping to guide national practice. Her later work on sentinel lymph node biopsy in high-risk endometrial cancer (54 citations) advanced surgical staging, while her advocacy for same-day discharge in minimally invasive hysterectomy (43 citations) improved patient recovery and reduced hospital costs. With over 590 citations across her top papers, Havrilesky’s rigorous, patient-centered research continues to inform evidence-based surgical decision-making and healthcare policy.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 4Cost Analysis of Abdominal, Laparoscopic, and Robotic-Assisted Myomectomies66 citations · 2011
- 5Performance of sentinel lymph node biopsy in high-risk endometrial cancer54 citations · 2016
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