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POEM is a cost-effective procedure: cost-utility analysis of endoscopic and surgical treatment options in the management of achalasia

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Abstract

Background

Achalasia is a rare motility disorder of the esophagus. Treatment is palliative with the goal of symptom remission and slowing the progression of the disease. Treatment options include per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LM) and endoscopic treatments such as pneumatic dilation (PD) and botulinum toxin type A injections (BI). We evaluate the economics and cost-effectiveness of treating achalasia.

Methods

We performed cost analysis for POEM, LM, PD and BI at our institution from 2011 to 2015. Cost of LM was set to 1, and other procedures are presented as percentage change. Cost-effectiveness was calculated based on cost, number of interventions required for optimal results for dilations and injections and efficacy reported in the current literature. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated by a cost-utility analysis using quality-adjusted life year gained, defined as a symptom-free year in a patient with achalasia.

Results

Average number of interventions required was 2.3 dilations or two injections for efficacies of 80 and 61 %, respectively. POEM cost 1.058 times the cost of LM, and PD and BI cost 0.559 and 0.448 times the cost of LM. Annual cost per cure over a period of 4 years for POEM, and LM were consistently equivalent, trending the same as PD although this has a lower initial cost. The cost per cure of BI remains stable over 3 years and then doubles.

Conclusion

The cost-effectiveness of POEM and LM is equivalent. Myotomy, either surgical or endoscopic, is more cost-effective than BI due to high failure rates of the economical intervention. When treatment is being considered BI should be utilized in patients with less than 2-year life expectancy. Pneumatic dilations are cost-effective and are an acceptable approach to treatment of achalasia, although myotomy has a lower relapse rate and is cost-effective compared to PD after 2 years.

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Notes

  1. Outliers were visits that included prolonged inpatient stays unrelated to the procedure in question, i.e.,: a patient received BI during an unrelated ICU stay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, UH Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave, Lakeside 7th Floor, Cleveland, OH, 44121, USA

    Heidi J. Miller, Mojtaba Fayezizadeh, Arnab Majumder & Jeffrey M. Marks

  2. Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Ruel Neupane

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Heidi J. Miller, Ruel Neupane, Mojtaba Fayezizadeh and Arnab Majumder have no conflicts of interest. Jeffrey M. Marks has Consultant for US Endoscopy, GI Supply, Merck, GORE, Apollo Endosurgery, Olympus, Fujifilm.

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Miller, H.J., Neupane, R., Fayezizadeh, M. et al. POEM is a cost-effective procedure: cost-utility analysis of endoscopic and surgical treatment options in the management of achalasia. Surg Endosc 31, 1636–1642 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-016-5151-z

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