Deformity Surgery Costs Much Higher in U.S.
An international team of researchers has just published their retrospective analysis comparing the direct costs and cost-effectiveness of adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery in the U.S. and Japan. Their work, “A cost-effectiveness comparisons of adult spinal deformity surgery in the United States and Japan,” was published in the March 2018 edition of the European Spine Journal.
Mitsuru Yagi, M.D., Ph.D., with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan, and lead author of the article, told OTW, “Most spine surgeons have found increasing cost and higher complication rate associated with adult spine deformity surgery in recent years. Therefore, cost analysis, as well as cost effectiveness analysis, has become important in this research field.”
The authors wrote, “Retrospective analysis of 76 U.S. and 76 Japan (JP) patients receiving surgery for ASD with ≥2-year follow-up was identified. Data analysis included preoperative and postoperative demographic, radiographic, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and direct cost for surgery. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was determined using cost/quality-adjusted life years (QALY). The cost/QALY was calculated from the 2-year cost and HRQOL data.”
Dr. Yagi told OTW, “As you may know the health insurance system is totally different between the U.S. and Japan. Therefore, it was difficult to directly compared the cost effectiveness between these countries.”
“Although the direct costs and cost-effectiveness of ASD surgery in the U.S. vs JP demonstrated that the total direct costs and cost/QALY were substantially higher in the U.S. than JP, appropriate patient selection and minimizing the complication and reapportion may improve the cost-effectiveness in ASD surgery.”
“Appropriate patient selection and minimizing the complication and reapportion are particularly important not only to improve the cost effectiveness but also improve the clinical outcomes as well as patient satisfactions in ASD surgery.”
