OBJECTIVES: This study aims to identify the range of direct hospital costs associated with a minimally invasive or open colectomy procedure across different countries. METHODS: A PubMed search was performed using the keywords: colectomy [MeSH] and cost/economic/comparison with results limited to publications of human subject studies in English from 2006 to November 2015. Studies comparing minimally invasive surgical techniques (laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted) to open surgical techniques were selected and studies of comparisons other than minimally invasive versus open procedures (e.g. robotic) were excluded. All abstracts were filtered, including meta-analysis, RCTs and observational studies excluding case studies. RESULTS: Twenty-two of 99 articles were included in the analysis. Eight (36%) studies were conducted in North America with the remaining based in European and Asian-Pacific countries. The findings from 2 meta-analysis studies reporting total direct costs indicated higher costs for laparoscopies ranging from $105 to $824. Direct hospital costs varied dramatically across countries. In North America, the cost of operating rooms (minute) ranged from $11-$20 for open procedures and $16-$22 for laparoscopies. The anesthesia cost (minute) ranged from $7-$10 and the cost for hospital stay (day) ranged from $477-$591 regardless of procedure type. In European countries, the cost of operating rooms (minute) ranged from $15-$24 for open procedures and $15-$29 for laparoscopy. The cost for hospital stay (day) ranged from $234-$604. In Asia and Australia, the cost of operating rooms (minute) ranged from $4-$12 for open procedures and $4-$13 for laparoscopies. The cost for hospital stay (day) ranged from $159-$406. CONCLUSIONS: Asian-Pacific countries have reported lower direct hospital costs. Cost calculations for common surgical procedures like colectomy are challenging due to different costing methodologies and categories. A standardized costing methodology guideline is warranted and may shed light on the future considerations of reimbursement strategy.