A new study published in The Spine Journal compared the cost-effectiveness of total hip surgery and total knee surgery to the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.
They examined the incremental cost-utility ratio to measure patient outcomes with a minimum of five year follow-ups. The primary outcome measure was cost per quality-adjusted-life-years. The follow-up cost-utility ratios were:
• $21,702/QALY for total hip replacement
• $28,595/QALY for total knee replacement
• $12,271/QALY for spinal decompression
• $35,897/QALY for spinal decompression with fusion
Estimated lifetime ICURs using the five-year median follow-up data was:
• $5,682/QALY for total hip replacement
• $6,498/QALY for total knee replacement
• $2,994/QALY for spinal decompression
• $10,806/QALY for spinal decompression and fusion
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