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Cost Effectiveness of Primary Stenting in the Superficial Femoral Artery for Intermittent Claudication : Two Year Results of a Randomised Multicentre Trial

Djerf, Henrik ; Svensson, Mikael ; Nordanstig, Joakim ; Gottsäter, Anders LU ; Falkenberg, Mårten and Lindgren, Hans LU (2021) In European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 62(4). p.576-582
Abstract

Objective: Invasive treatment of intermittent claudication (IC) is commonly performed, despite limited evidence of its cost effectiveness. IC symptoms are mainly caused by atherosclerotic lesions in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), and endovascular treatment is performed frequently. The aim of this study was to investigate its cost effectiveness vs. non-invasive treatment. Methods: One hundred patients with IC due to lesions in the SFA were randomised to treatment with primary stenting, best medical treatment (BMT) and exercise advice (stent group), or to BMT and exercise advice alone (control group). Patients were recruited at seven hospitals in Sweden. For this analysis of cost effectiveness after 24 months, 84 patients with data... (More)

Objective: Invasive treatment of intermittent claudication (IC) is commonly performed, despite limited evidence of its cost effectiveness. IC symptoms are mainly caused by atherosclerotic lesions in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), and endovascular treatment is performed frequently. The aim of this study was to investigate its cost effectiveness vs. non-invasive treatment. Methods: One hundred patients with IC due to lesions in the SFA were randomised to treatment with primary stenting, best medical treatment (BMT) and exercise advice (stent group), or to BMT and exercise advice alone (control group). Patients were recruited at seven hospitals in Sweden. For this analysis of cost effectiveness after 24 months, 84 patients with data on quality adjusted life years (QALY; based on the EuroQol Five Dimensions EQ-5D 3L™ questionnaire) were analysed. Patient registry and imputed cost data were used for accumulated costs regarding hospitalisation and outpatient visits. Results: The mean cost per patient was €11 060 in the stent group and €4 787 in the control group, resulting in a difference of €6 273 per patient between the groups. The difference in mean QALYs between the groups was 0.26, in favour of the stent group, which resulted in an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) of € 23 785 per QALY. Conclusion: The costs associated with primary stenting in the SFA for the treatment of IC were higher than for exercise advice and BMT alone. With concurrent improvement in health related quality of life, primary stenting was a cost effective treatment option according to the Swedish national guidelines (ICER < €50 000 – €70 000) and approaching the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence threshold for willingness to pay (ICER < £20 000 – £30 000). From a cost effectiveness standpoint, primary stenting of the SFA can, in many countries, be used as an adjunct to exercise training advice, but it must be considered that successful implementation of structured exercise programmes and longer follow up may alter these findings.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cost effectiveness, Intermittent claudication, Stents
in
European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
volume
62
issue
4
pages
576 - 582
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85113570686
  • pmid:34454817
ISSN
1078-5884
DOI
10.1016/j.ejvs.2021.07.009
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
219f234c-2c1a-4ca8-82ac-616e1731062e
date added to LUP
2021-09-09 09:19:27
date last changed
2024-06-15 16:00:58
@article{219f234c-2c1a-4ca8-82ac-616e1731062e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: Invasive treatment of intermittent claudication (IC) is commonly performed, despite limited evidence of its cost effectiveness. IC symptoms are mainly caused by atherosclerotic lesions in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), and endovascular treatment is performed frequently. The aim of this study was to investigate its cost effectiveness vs. non-invasive treatment. Methods: One hundred patients with IC due to lesions in the SFA were randomised to treatment with primary stenting, best medical treatment (BMT) and exercise advice (stent group), or to BMT and exercise advice alone (control group). Patients were recruited at seven hospitals in Sweden. For this analysis of cost effectiveness after 24 months, 84 patients with data on quality adjusted life years (QALY; based on the EuroQol Five Dimensions EQ-5D 3L™ questionnaire) were analysed. Patient registry and imputed cost data were used for accumulated costs regarding hospitalisation and outpatient visits. Results: The mean cost per patient was €11 060 in the stent group and €4 787 in the control group, resulting in a difference of €6 273 per patient between the groups. The difference in mean QALYs between the groups was 0.26, in favour of the stent group, which resulted in an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) of € 23 785 per QALY. Conclusion: The costs associated with primary stenting in the SFA for the treatment of IC were higher than for exercise advice and BMT alone. With concurrent improvement in health related quality of life, primary stenting was a cost effective treatment option according to the Swedish national guidelines (ICER &lt; €50 000 – €70 000) and approaching the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence threshold for willingness to pay (ICER &lt; £20 000 – £30 000). From a cost effectiveness standpoint, primary stenting of the SFA can, in many countries, be used as an adjunct to exercise training advice, but it must be considered that successful implementation of structured exercise programmes and longer follow up may alter these findings.</p>}},
  author       = {{Djerf, Henrik and Svensson, Mikael and Nordanstig, Joakim and Gottsäter, Anders and Falkenberg, Mårten and Lindgren, Hans}},
  issn         = {{1078-5884}},
  keywords     = {{Cost effectiveness; Intermittent claudication; Stents}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{576--582}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery}},
  title        = {{Cost Effectiveness of Primary Stenting in the Superficial Femoral Artery for Intermittent Claudication : Two Year Results of a Randomised Multicentre Trial}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejvs.2021.07.009}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ejvs.2021.07.009}},
  volume       = {{62}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}