A new study published in The Spine Journal examines spine surgery outcomes and costs for patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy.
The study examined health utility for patients who underwent surgery at a single center from 2005 to 2011. The patients underwent surgery in Canada and their outcomes were logged in the AOSpine-North America or CSM-International studies. There were 171 patients included in the study who were followed for two years.
The researchers found:
1. The average cost of treatment was $19,217.82±$12,303.23
2. The operation costs were 65.7 percent of the total costs for care. The remaining costs included pre-surgical preparation and recovery after surgery.
3. There were just three patients that required a second surgery within two years of the primary procedure. The revision surgeries represented 1.85 percent of the total costs.
4. The estimated incremental cost utility ratios for surgical intervention were reported as $20,547.84 per QALY gained. Around 94 percent of the estimates were within the World Health Organization's "very cost effective" definition.
5. The estimated lifetime incremental cost utility ratios for surgery were $11,496.02 per QALY gained. There were 98.9 percent of the estimates that were considered "very cost effective."
The researchers concluded, "The intervention is cost effective and, from the perspective of the hospital payer, should be supported."