Papers
34
Total Citations
1,774
H-Index
21
About
Maxine Sun is a leading health services researcher whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of robotic surgery in urologic oncology. Her research focuses on the comparative effectiveness, perioperative outcomes, and health economics of robot-assisted versus open surgical techniques, particularly for prostate and bladder cancers. Sun’s landmark 2011 study on perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, cited over 420 times, provided critical early evidence comparing robotic and open approaches using nationwide data. She has since produced a series of highly influential comparative effectiveness studies—each garnering over 100 citations—that examine cancer control, complication rates, and the impact of surgical volume and regionalization. Notably, Sun has also investigated disparities in access to robotic surgery and variations in healthcare costs, revealing important socioeconomic inequities. Her work on cost variations in radical cystectomy and robotic prostatectomy, along with a prospective randomized trial on barbed sutures, demonstrates her commitment to rigorous, evidence-based evaluation of surgical innovations. With over a decade of impactful publications, Sun has become an essential voice in the ongoing debate about the value and equity of robotic surgery adoption.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 6Variations in the Costs of Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer in the USA83 citations · 2017
- 7Comparative effectiveness of robot-assisted vs. open radical cystectomy75 citations · 2017
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