Costs and health effects of CT perfusion-based selection for endovascular thrombectomy within 6 hours of stroke onset: a model-based health economic evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Although CT perfusion (CTP) is often incorporated in acute stroke workflows, it remains largely unclear what the associated costs and health implications are in the long run of CTP-based patient selection for endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients presenting within 6 hours after symptom onset with a large vessel occlusion. METHODS: Patients with a large vessel occlusion were included from a Dutch nationwide cohort (n=703) if CTP imaging was performed before EVT within 6 hours after stroke onset. Simulated cost and health effects during 5 and 10 years follow-up were compared between CTP based patient selection for EVT and providing EVT to all patients. Outcome measures were the net monetary benefit at a willingness-to-pay of €80 000 per quality-adjusted life year, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio), difference in costs from a healthcare payer perspective (ΔCosts) and quality-adjusted life years (ΔQALY) per 1000 patients for 1000 model iterations as outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with treating all patients, CTP-based selection for EVT at the optimised ischaemic core volume (ICV≥110 mL) or core-penumbra mismatch ratio (MMR≤1.4) thresholds resulted in losses of health (median ΔQALYs for ICV≥110 mL: -3.3 (IQR: -5.9 to -1.1), for MMR≤1.4: 0.0 (IQR: -1.3 to 0.0)) with median ΔCosts for ICV≥110 mL of -€348 966 (IQR: -€712 406 to -€51 158) and for MMR≤1.4 of €266 513 (IQR: €229 403 to €380 110)) per 1000 patients. Sensitivity analyses did not yield any scenarios for CTP-based selection of patients for EVT that were cost-effective for improving health, including patients aged ≥80 years CONCLUSION: In EVT-eligible patients presenting within 6 hours after symptom onset, excluding patients based on CTP parameters was not cost-effective and could potentially harm patients.

Extending mechanical thrombectomy service provision to 24/7: a break-even analysis.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive stroke centres across England have developed investment proposals, showing the estimated increases in mechanical thrombectomy (MT) treatment volume that would justify extending the standard hours to a 24/7 service provision. These investment proposals have been developed taking a financial accounting perspective, that is by considering the financial revenues from tariff income. However, given the pressure put on local health authorities to provide value for money services, an affordability question emerges. That is, at what additional MT treatment volume the additional treatment costs are offset by the additional health economic benefits, that is quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and societal cost savings, generated by administering MT compared to standard care. METHODS: A break-even analysis was conducted to identify the additional MT treatment volume required. The incremental hospital-related costs associated with the 24/7 MT extension were estimated using information and parameters from four relevant business cases. The additional societal cost savings and health benefits were estimated by adapting a previously developed Markov chain-based model. RESULTS: The additional hospital-related annual costs for extending MT to a 24/7 service were estimated at a mean of £3,756,818 (range £1,847,387 to £5,092,788). On average, 750 (range 246 to 1,571) additional eligible stroke patients are required to be treated with MT yearly for the proposed 24/7 service extension to be affordable from a health economic perspective. Overall, the additional facility and equipment costs associated with the 24/7 extension would affect this estimate by 20%. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the ongoing debate regarding the optimal levels of MT treatment required for a 24/7 extension and respective changes in hospital organisational activities. They also highlight a need for a regional-level coordination between local authorities and hospital administrations to ensure equity provision in that stroke patients can benefit from MT and that the optimal MT treatment volume is reached. Future studies should contemplate reproducing the presented analysis for different health service provision settings and decision making contexts.

Cost-Effectiveness of Mechanical Thrombectomy for Treatment of Nonminor Ischemic Stroke Across Europe.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has been recommended for the treatment of nonminor ischemic stroke by national and international guidelines, but cost-effectiveness evidence has been generated for only a few countries using heterogeneous evaluation methods. We estimate the cost-effectiveness of MT across 32 European countries. METHODS: A Markov model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of MT compared with standard care over a 5-year time horizon. Patients with ischemic stroke eligible for MT were identified from 2017 country-specific incidence data. A societal perspective was adopted, including health, social, and informal care costs, and productivity losses. Model outcomes were expressed as quality-adjusted life years. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the robustness of findings. RESULTS: We identified 267 514 ischemic stroke cases that were eligible for MT treatment across 32 European countries. MT was found to be more effective and cheaper than standard care in two-thirds of the countries (21/32) and cost-effective in all but one country (Bulgaria). Across Europe, the intervention was estimated to produce over 101 327 additional quality-adjusted life years (95% uncertainty interval, 65 180-149 085) and cost savings of $981 million (€868 million, 95% uncertainty interval, -1544 to 2564) and of $1.7 billion (€1.5 billion, 95% uncertainty interval, -1.2 to 3.6) in health and social care and societal costs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MT is highly likely to be cost-effective compared with standard care across Europe as a whole and in the vast majority of European countries.

Secondary transfer of emergency stroke patients eligible for mechanical thrombectomy by air in rural England: economic evaluation and considerations.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a time-sensitive emergency procedure for patients who had ischaemic stroke leading to improved health outcomes. Health systems need to ensure that MT is delivered to as many patients as quickly as possible. Using decision modelling, we aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of secondary transfer by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) compared with ground emergency medical services (GEMS) of rural patients eligible for MT in England. METHODS: The model consisted of (1) a short-run decision tree with two branches, representing secondary transfer transportation strategies and (2) a long-run Markov model for a theoretical population of rural patients with a confirmed ischaemic stroke. Strategies were compared by lifetime costs: quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), incremental cost per QALY gained and net monetary benefit. Sensitivity and scenario analyses explored uncertainty around parameter values. RESULTS: We used the base case of early-presenting (<6 hours to arterial puncture) patient aged 75 years who had stroke to compare HEMS and GEMS. This produced an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £28 027 when a 60 min reduction in travel time was assumed. Scenario analyses showed the importance of the reduction in travel time and futile transfers in lowering ICERs. For late presenting (>6 hours to arterial puncture), ground transportation is the dominant strategy. CONCLUSION: Our model indicates that using HEMS to transfer patients who had stroke eligible for MT from remote hospitals in England may be cost-effective when: travel time is reduced by at least 60 min compared with GEMS, and a £30 000/QALY threshold is used for decision-making. However, several other logistic considerations may impact on the use of air transportation.

Analyzing Cost-Effectiveness of Allocating Neurointerventionist for Drive and Retrieve System for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: There are regional disparities in implementation rates of endovascular thrombectomy due to time and resource constraints such as endovascular thrombectomy specialists. In Hokkaido, Japan, Drive and Retrieve System (DRS), where endovascular thrombectomy specialists perform early endovascular thrombectomies by traveling from the facilities where they normally work to facilities closer to the patient. This study analyzed the cost-effectiveness of allocating a endovascular thrombectomy specialist for DRS to treat stroke patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: he number of ischemic stroke patients expected to receive endovascular thrombectomy in Hokkaido in 2015 was estimated. It was assumed that an additional neutointerventionist was allocated for DRS. The analysis was performed from the government's perspective, which includes medical and nursing-care costs, and the personnel cost for endovascular thrombectomy specialist. The analysis was conducted comparing the current scenario, where patients received endovascular thrombectomy in facilities where endovascular thrombectomy specialists normally work, with the scenario with DRS within 60 min drive distance. Patient transport time was analyzed using geographic information system, and patient severity was estimated from the transport time. The primary outcome was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in each medical area which was calculated from the incremental costs and the incremental quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), estimated from patient severity using published literature. The entire process was repeated 100 times. RESULTS: DRS was most cost-effective in Kamikawachubu area, where the ICER was $14,173±16,802/QALY, significantly lower than the threshold that the Japanese guideline suggested. CONCLUSIONS: Since DRS was cost-effective in Kamikawachubu area, the area should be prioritized when a endovascular thrombectomy specialist for DRS is allocated as a policy.

Investigating the "Weekend Effect" on Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Endovascular Mechanical Thrombectomy for Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: With growing evidence of its efficacy for patients with large-vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic stroke, the use of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has increased. The "weekend effect," whereby patients presenting during weekends/off hours have worse clinical outcomes than those presenting during normal working hours, is a critical area of study in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Our objective was to evaluate whether a "weekend effect" exists in patients undergoing EVT. METHODS: This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the 2016-2018 Nationwide Inpatient Sample data included patients ≥18 years with documented diagnosis of ischemic stroke (ICD-10 codes I63, I64, and H34.1), procedural code for EVT, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score; the exposure variable was weekend vs. weekday treatment. The primary outcome was in-hospital death; secondary outcomes were favorable discharge, extended hospital stay (LOS), and cost. Logistic regression models were constructed to determine predictors for outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 6052 AIS patients who received EVT (mean age 68.7±14.8 years; 50.8% female; 70.8% White; median (IQR) admission NIHSS 16 (10-21). The primary outcome of in-hospital death occurred in 560 (11.1%); the secondary outcome of favorable discharge occurred in 1039 (20.6%). The mean LOS was 7.8±8.6 days. There were no significant differences in the outcomes or cost based on admission timing. In the mixed-effects models, we found no effect of weekend vs. weekday admission on in-hospital death, favorable discharge, or extended LOS. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the "weekend effect" does not impact outcomes or cost for patients who undergo EVT for LVO.

Trends, Predictors and Outcomes of Ischemic Stroke Among Patients Hospitalized with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the temporal trends in the incidence of ischemic stroke among patients hospitalized with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) stratified by the subtypes of ischemic stroke (cardioembolic versus thrombotic). Predictors of each stroke subtype, the association with atrial fibrillation (AF), the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT), cardiogenic shock (CS), in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and total healthcare cost were also assessed. BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke in TCM is thought to be primarily cardioembolic from left ventricular mural thromboembolism. Limited data are available on the incidence of thrombotic ischemic stroke in TCM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 27,970 patients hospitalized with the primary diagnosis of TCM from the 2008 to 2017 National Inpatient Sample, of which 751 (3%) developed ischemic stroke. Of those with ischemic stroke, 571 (76%) had thrombotic stroke while 180 (24%) had cardioembolic stroke. Cochrane armitage test was used to assess the incidence of thrombotic and cardioembolic strokes and multivariate regression was used to identify risk factors associated with each stroke subtype. We compared the incidence of AF, VF/VT, CS, LOS, in-hospital mortality and total cost between hospitalized patients with TCM alone to those with cardioembolic and thrombotic strokes. RESULTS: From 2008 - 2017, the incidence of thrombotic stroke (4.7%-9.5% (p< 0.0001) increased while it was unchanged for cardioembolic stroke (0.5%-0.7% P=0.5). In the multivariate regression, peripheral artery disease, prior history of stroke, and hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with thrombotic stroke, while CS, AF, and Asian race (compared to White race) were associated with cardioembolic stroke. Both cardioembolic and thrombotic strokes were associated with higher odds of IHM, AF, CS, longer LOS and increased cost. Trends in in-hospital mortality and the utilization of thrombolysis, cerebral angiography, and mechanical thrombectomy among patients with TCM and ischemic stroke were unchanged from 2008 to 2017. CONCLUSION: Among patients with TCM and ischemic stroke, thrombotic stroke was more common compared to cardioembolic stroke. Ischemic stroke was associated with poorer outcomes, including higher in-hospital mortality and increased healthcare resource utilization in TCM.

Public Health and Cost Benefits of Successful Reperfusion After Thrombectomy for Stroke.

Background and Purpose- The benefit that endovascular thrombectomy offers to patients with stroke with large vessel occlusions depends strongly on reperfusion grade as defined by the expanded Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (eTICI) scale. Our aim was to determine the lifetime health and cost consequences of the quality of reperfusion for patients, healthcare systems, and society. Methods- A Markov model estimated lifetime quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and lifetime costs of endovascular thrombectomy-treated patients with stroke based on eTICI grades. The analysis was performed over a lifetime horizon in a United States setting, adopting healthcare and societal perspectives. The reference case analysis was conducted for stroke at 65 years of age. National health and cost consequences of improved eTICI 2c/3 reperfusion rates were estimated. Input parameters were based on best available evidence. Results- Lifetime QALYs increased for every grade of improved reperfusion (median QALYs for eTICI 0/1: 2.62; eTICI 2a: 3.46; eTICI 2b: 5.42; eTICI 2c: 5.99; eTICI 3: 6.73). Achieving eTICI 3 over eTICI 2b reperfusion resulted on average in 1.31 incremental QALYs as well as healthcare and societal cost savings of $10 327 and $20 224 per patient. A 10% increase in the eTICI 2c/3 reperfusion rate of all annually endovascular thrombectomy-treated patients with stroke in the United States is estimated to yield additional 3656 QALYs and save $21.0 million and $36.8 million for the healthcare system and society, respectively. Conclusions- Improved reperfusion grants patients with stroke additional QALYs and leads to long-term cost savings. Procedural strategies to achieve complete reperfusion should be assessed for safety and feasibility, even when initial reperfusion seems to be adequate.

Individual Choice for the Aspiration Thrombectomy Treatment of Acute Iliofemoral Deep Venous Thrombosis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical efficacy, safety and cost of AngioJet rheolytic thrombectomy (ART) plus catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) and manual aspiration thrombectomy (MAT) plus CDT for acute iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT). METHODS: This was a retrospective study. A total of 126 DVT patients met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-one patients were included in the ART group and sixty-five in the MAT group. Clinical parameters were used to compare the groups. Clinical outcomes, complications and various medical expenses were analyzed. RESULTS: Technical success rates were 100% in ART and MAT group. There was no significant difference in the rate of thrombus clearance (lysis grades II and III) between ART group (98.36%) and MAT group (100%) (P = 0.311). The incidence of venous damage was slightly higher in the MAT group (4.6%) than in the ART group (0%) (P = 0.245). The cost of the ART group ($8,291.7 ± 471.4) was significantly higher than that of the MAT group ($4,632.5 ± 441.7) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ART and MAT appear similar with good clinical outcomes for acute iliofemoral DVT. MAT substantially lowers mean cost per patient compared to ART.

Cost-effectiveness of stent-retriever thrombectomy in large vessel occlusion strokes of the anterior circulation: Analysis from the French societal perspective.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the cost-effectiveness of stent retriever thrombectomy (SRT) added to standard of care (SOC) in large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes, adopting the French societal perspective given the lack of published studies with such perspective. METHODS: We developed an hybrid model (decision tree until one year post-stroke followed by a Markov model from one year onward). The time horizon was 20 years. We calculated transition probabilities across the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) based on a published meta-analysis. The main outcome measure was quality adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. Resources and input costs were derived from a literature search. We calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) expressed as cost/QALY. We used 1-way deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) to evaluate the model uncertainty. RESULTS: In the base-case, adding SRT to SOC resulted in increased effectiveness of 0.73 QALY while total costs were reduced by 3,874€ (ICER of -5,400€/QALY). In the scenario analysis adopting the French healthcare system perspective, the ICER was 4,901€/QALY. Parameters the most influential were the relative risks of SRT over SOC for 90-days mortality and for 90-days mRS 0-2, and the time horizon. PSA showed the 95% confidence interval of the ICER was -21,324 to 4,591€/QALY, with SRT having 85.5% chance to be dominant and 100% to be cost-effective at a threshold of 50,000€/QALY. CONCLUSION: SRT was dominant from a French societal perspective, from 9 years post-stroke onwards. Cost-effectiveness of SRT added to SOC becomes undisputable with evidences from payer and societal viewpoints.

Estimating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of establishing additional endovascular Thrombectomy stroke Centres in England: a discrete event simulation.

BACKGROUND: We have previously modelled that the optimal number of comprehensive stroke centres (CSC) providing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in England would be 30 (net 6 new centres). We now estimate the relative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of increasing the number of centres from 24 to 30. METHODS: We constructed a discrete event simulation (DES) to estimate the effectiveness and lifetime cost-effectiveness (from a payer perspective) using 1 year's incidence of stroke in England. 2000 iterations of the simulation were performed comparing baseline 24 centres to 30. RESULTS: Of 80,800 patients admitted to hospital with acute stroke/year, 21,740 would be affected by the service reconfiguration. The median time to treatment for eligible early presenters (< 270 min since onset) would reduce from 195 (IQR 155-249) to 165 (IQR 105-224) minutes. Our model predicts reconfiguration would mean an additional 33 independent patients (modified Rankin scale [mRS] 0-1) and 30 fewer dependent/dead patients (mRS 3-6) per year. The net addition of 6 centres generates 190 QALYs (95%CI - 6 to 399) and results in net savings to the healthcare system of £1,864,000/year (95% CI -1,204,000 to £5,017,000). The estimated budget impact was a saving of £980,000 in year 1 and £7.07 million in years 2 to 5. CONCLUSION: Changes in acute stroke service configuration will produce clinical and cost benefits when the time taken for patients to receive treatment is reduced. Benefits are highly likely to be cost saving over 5 years before any capital investment above £8 million is required.

Economic challenges of using innovative medical devices in major public health pathologies: Example of acute ischemic stroke management by mechanical thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND: Activity-based Funding can induce financial imbalances for health institutions if innovative medical devices (MD) used to perform acts are included in Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) tariff. To be reimbursed in addition to the DRG tariff, innovative MD must have received a favorable evaluation by the French National Authority for Health (Haute Autorité de Santé) and be registered on the positive list. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expenses and incomes generated by each scenario (before and after the reimbursement of MD), and the financial reports. This study concerned the management of ischemic stroke by mechanical thrombectomy devices, in high-volume French hospital. METHODS: All patients who have had an acute ischemic stroke and admitted to the interventional neuroradiology unit between January 2016 and December 2017 were included retrospectively in this monocentric study. They were divided into four subgroups based on the severity of the DRG. The cost study was carried out using the French National Cost Study Methodology adjusted for the duration of the stays and by micro-costing on MD. RESULTS: A total of 267 patients were included. Over the study period, the average cost of the hospital stay was €10,492±6364 for a refund of €9838±6749 per patient. The acts performed became profitable once the MD were registered on the positive list (€-1017±3551 vs. €560±2671; P<0.05). Despite this reimbursement, this activity remained in deficit for DRG lowest severity (level 1) patients (€-492±1244). Specific MD used for mechanical thrombectomy represented 37% of the total cost of stay. CONCLUSION: The time required to evaluate MD reimbursement files is too long compared to their development. As a result, practitioners are in difficulty to be able to carry out acts according to the consensual practices of their learned societies, without causing any financial deficit of their institutions.

Cost Effectiveness of Drive and Retrieve System in Hokkaido for Acute Ischemic Stroke Patient Treatment Using Geographic Information System.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although endovascular thrombectomy combined with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator is effective for treatment of acute ischemic stroke, regional disparities in implementation rates of those treatments have been reported. Drive and retrieve system, where a qualified neurointerventionist travels to another primary stroke center for endovascular thrombectomy, has been practiced in parts of Hokkaido, Japan. This study aims to simulate the cost effectiveness of the drive and retrieve system, which can be a method to enhance equality and cost effectiveness of treatments for acute ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The number of patients who had acute ischemic stroke in 2015 is estimated. Those patients are generated according to the population distribution, and thereafter patient transport time is analyzed in the 3 scenarios (1) 60-minute drive scenario, (2) 90-minute drive scenario, in which the drive and retrieve system operates within 60-minute or 90-minute driving distance (3) without the system, using geographic information system. Incremental cost-effectiveness rate, quality-adjusted life years, and medical and nursing care costs are estimated from the analyzed transport time. FINDINGS: The incremental cost-effectiveness rate by implementing the system was dominant. Cost reductions of $213,190 in 60-minute drive scenario, and $247,274 in the 90-minute scenario were expected, respectively. Such benefits are the most significant in Soya, Emmon, Rumoi, and Kamikawahokubu medical areas. CONCLUSIONS: The drive and retrieve system could enhance regional equality and cost effectiveness of ischemic stroke treatments in Hokkaido, which can be achieved using existing resources. Further studies are required to clarify its cost effectiveness from hospital perspective.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of mechanical thrombectomy plus tissue-type plasminogen activator compared with tissue-type plasminogen activator alone for acute ischemic stroke in France.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies demonstrated the benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) plus intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) (MT-IV-tPA) in acute ischemic stroke. This study aimed to estimate the cost-utility of MT-IV-tPA compared with IV-tPA alone from the perspective of the French National Health Insurance. METHODS: We developed a decision tree for the first 3 months after stroke onset and a Markov model until 10 years post-stroke. The health states of the Markov model were according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS): independent (mRS=0-2), dependent (mRS=3-5), dead (mRS=6). Recurrent stroke was the fourth health stage of our model. We conducted systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses to estimate the cost and utility of each health state, and the transition probabilities between health states. A microcosting study was conducted to estimate the cost of MT. We estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of MT-IV-tPA and conducted a probabilistic analysis in order to estimate the probability that MT-IV-tPA is cost-effective compared to IV-tPA, the expected value of perfect information (EVPI), and the expected value of partial perfect information (EVPPI), given the uncertainty surrounding the value of our model's parameters. RESULTS: The total mean (standard deviation (SD) cost of MT was €6708.9 (2357.0). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the strategy using IV-tPA combined to MT costs was €14,715 per QALY gained as compared to a strategy using IV-tPA alone. The probabilistic analysis showed that the probability of MT-IV-TPA being cost-effective was 85.4% at threshold willingness-to-pay of €30,000 per QALY gained, reaching 98% at €50,000 per QALY gained. CONCLUSION: Although there is no universally accepted willingness-to-pay threshold in France, our analysis suggest that MT combined to IV-tPA can be considered a cost-effective treatment compared with IV-tPA alone.

Hemodialysis Access Maintenance in the Medicare Population: An Analysis Over a Decade of Trends by Provider Specialty and Site of Service.

PURPOSE: To evaluate annual national trends in hemodialysis access maintenance procedures in the Medicare population by specialty and setting. METHODS: Medicare Physician Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files between 2005 and 2015 were analyzed for procedure codes of hemodialysis access angiography and percutaneous thrombectomy. Using physician specialty codes, component procedure volume for endovascular services were queried for radiology, medicine, and surgery. Data entries were analyzed by provider specialty and place of service. Average submitted and allowed charges per intervention were extracted. Linear regression modeling was used to identify trends in number of and allowed charges by specialty and practice setting. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2015, the frequency of dialysis access angiography for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries increased by a total of 74.71% (211,181 to 368,955). Specialty-specific analysis demonstrated volume increases of 220.21% (22,128 to 101,109) for surgery, 249.02% (32,690 to 114,094) for medicine, and 2.81% (135,564 to 139, 367) for radiology. By 2015, an increased trend from hospital-based to non-hospital-based procedures associated with significantly higher reimbursement rates to providers (+18,798 non-hospital-based cases/year, $46.95/year, P ≤ .001) was also observed, with medicine performing the highest volume of non-hospital-based procedures. In this period, there was also a modest total overall increase of percutaneous thrombectomy procedures by 7.75% (61,485 to 66,250). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of endovascular hemodialysis access maintenance procedures in the Medicare fee-for-service program has increased from 2005 to 2015, with the majority market share transitioning from radiologists to non-radiologists. Similarly, most access maintenance in this time period changed from hospital-based to non-hospital-based interventions.

Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis Versus Pharmacomechanical Thrombectomy for Upper Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis represents (UEDVT) 2-3% of all deep vein thrombosis. Catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT) was replaced largely by pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (PMT) in our institution. In this study we compared the immediate and 1-year results as well as the total hospital costs between CDT and PMT in the treatment of UEDVT. METHODS: From 2006 to 2013, 55 patients with UEDVT were treated with either CDT or PMT at Helsinki University Hospital. Of them, 43 underwent thoracoscopic rib resection later to relieve phlebography-confirmed vein compression. This patient cohort was prospectively followed up with repeated phlebographies. CDT was performed to 24 patients, and 19 had PMT with a Trellis™ device. Clinical evaluation and vein patency assessment were performed with either phlebography or ultrasound 1 year after the thrombolysis. Primary outcomes were immediate technical success, 1-year vein patency, and costs of the initial treatment. RESULTS: The immediate overall technical success rate, defined as recanalization of the occluded vein and removal of the fresh thrombus, was 91.7% in the CDT group and 100% in the PMT group (n.s.). The median thrombolytic time was significantly longer in CDT patients than that in PMT patients (21.1 vs. 0.33 hr, P < 0.00001). There were no procedure-related complications. The 1-year primary assisted patency rate was similar in both the groups (91.7% and 94.7%). There were no recurrences of clinical DVT. The hospital costs for the acute period were significantly lower in the PMT group than those in the CDT group (medians: 11,476 € and 5,975 € in the CDT and PMT groups, respectively [P < 0.00001]). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical results of the treatment of UEDVT with CDT or PMT were similar. However, PMT required shorter hospital stay and less intensive surveillance, leading to lower total costs.

Emergency thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke: current evidence, international guidelines, and local clinical practice.

Acute ischaemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion leads to grave neurological morbidity and mortality. Conventional intravenous thrombolysis is ineffective in achieving timely reperfusion in this group of patients. The publication of five positive randomised controlled trials of emergency thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke in 2015 provided strong evidence to support endovascular reperfusion therapy and represented a paradigm shift in acute stroke management. In this article, we review the current evidence and international guidelines, and report on the findings of a survey study of the clinical practice and opinions of local neurologists, neurosurgeons, and interventional radiologists in emergency thrombectomy. We also discuss the controversies around thrombectomy treatment, local experience, and suggestions to incorporate thrombectomy in acute stroke treatment.

Cost-Effectiveness of Thrombectomy in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: The THRACE Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The benefit of mechanical thrombectomy added to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke has been largely demonstrated. However, evidence of the economic incentive of this strategy is still limited, especially in the context of a randomized controlled trial. We aimed to analyze whether mechanical thrombectomy combined with IVT (IVMT) is cost-effective when compared with IVT alone. METHODS: Individual-level cost and outcome data were collected in the THRACE randomized controlled trial (Thrombectomie des Artères Cerébrales) including patients with acute ischemic stroke. Patients were assigned to receive IVT or IVMT. The primary outcomes were modified Rankin Scale score of functional independence at 90 days (score 0-2) and the EuroQol-5D quality-of-life score at 1 year. RESULTS: Treating acute ischemic stroke with IVMT (n=200) versus IVT (n=202) increased the rate of functional independence by 10.9% (53.0% versus 42.1%; P=0.028), at an increased cost of $2116 (€1909), with no significant difference in mortality (12% versus 13%; P=0.70) or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (2% versus 2%; P=0.71). The cost per one averted case of disability was estimated at $19 379 (€17 480). The incremental cost per one quality-adjusted life year gained was $14 881 (€13 423). On sensitivity analysis, the probability of cost-effectiveness with IVMT was 84.1% in terms of cases of averted disability and 92.2% in terms of quality-adjusted life years. CONCLUSIONS: Based on randomized trial data, this study demonstrates that IVMT used to treat acute ischemic stroke is cost-effective when compared with IVT alone. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01062698.

Cost-Effectiveness of Solitaire Stent Retriever Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: Results From the SWIFT-PRIME Trial (Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Clinical trials have demonstrated improved 90-day outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with stent retriever thrombectomy plus tissue-type plasminogen activator (SST+tPA) compared with tPA. Previous studies suggested that this strategy may be cost-effective, but models were derived from pooled data and older assumptions. METHODS: In this prospective economic substudy conducted alongside the SWIFT-PRIME trial (Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke), in-trial costs were measured for patients using detailed medical resource utilization and hospital billing data. Utility weights were assessed at 30 and 90 days using the EuroQol-5 dimension questionnaire. Post-trial costs and life-expectancy were estimated for each surviving patient using a model based on trial data and inputs derived from a contemporary cohort of ischemic stroke survivors. RESULTS: Index hospitalization costs were $17 183 per patient higher for SST+tPA than for tPA ($45 761 versus $28 578; P<0.001), driven by initial procedure costs. Between discharge and 90 days, costs were $4904 per patient lower for SST+tPA than for tPA ($11 270 versus $16 174; P=0.014); total 90-day costs remained higher with SST+tPA ($57 031 versus $44 752; P<0.001). Higher utility values for SST+tPA led to higher in-trial quality-adjusted life years (0.131 versus 0.105; P=0.005). In lifetime projections, SST+tPA was associated with substantial gains in quality-adjusted life years (6.79 versus 5.05), cost savings of $23 203 per patient and was economically dominant when compared with tPA in 90% of bootstrap replicates. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with acute ischemic stroke enrolled in the SWIFT-PRIME trial, SST increased initial treatment costs, but was projected to improve quality-adjusted life-expectancy and reduce healthcare costs over a lifetime horizon compared with tPA. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01657461.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Mechanical Thrombectomy Using Stent Retrievers in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recently, 5 randomized controlled trials demonstrated the benefit of endovascular therapy compared with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator in acute stroke. Economic evidence evaluating stent retrievers is limited. We compared the cost-effectiveness of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator alone versus mechanical thrombectomy and intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator as a bridging therapy in eligible patients in the UK National Health Service. METHODS: A model-based cost-utility analysis was performed using a lifetime horizon. A Markov model was constructed and populated with probabilities, outcomes, and cost data from published sources, including 1-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Mechanical thrombectomy was more expensive than intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator, but it improved quality-adjusted life expectancy. The incremental cost per (quality-adjusted life year) gained of mechanical thrombectomy over a 20 year period was $11 651 (£7061). The probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that thrombectomy had a 100% probability of being cost-effective at the minimum willingness to pay for a quality-adjusted life year commonly used in United Kingdom. CONCLUSIONS: Although the upfront costs of thrombectomy are high, the potential quality-adjusted life year gains mean this intervention is cost-effective. This is an important factor for consideration in deciding whether to commission this intervention.