Objective
To evaluate costs and treatment benefits of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) repair.
Design
A Markov model of cost-effectiveness and utility.
Participants
There were no participants.
Methods
Published clinical trials (index studies) of pneumatic retinopexy (PR), scleral buckling (SB), pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and laser prophylaxis were used to quantitate surgical management and visual benefits. Markov analysis, with data from the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), was used to calculate adjusted costs of primary repair by each modality in a hospital-based and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting.
Main Outcome Measures
Lines of visual acuity (VA) saved, cost of therapy, adjusted cost of therapy, cost per line saved, cost per line-year saved, cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) saved.
Results
In the facility, hospital surgery setting, weighted cost for PR ranged from $3,726 to $5,901 depending on estimated success rate of primary repair. Weighted cost for SB was $6,770, for PPV was $7,940 and for laser prophylaxis was $1,955. The dollars per line saved ranged from $217 to $1,346 depending on the procedure. Dollars per line-year saved ranged from $11 to $67. Dollars per QALY saved ranged from $362 to $2,243.
In the non-facility, ASC surgery setting, weighted cost for PR ranged from $1,961 to $3,565 depending on the success rate of primary repair. The weighted costs for SB, PPV and laser prophylaxis were $4,873, $5,793 and $1,255, respectively. Dollars per line saved ranged from $139 to $982. The dollars per line-year saved ranged from $7–$49 and the dollars per QALY saved ranged from $232 to $1,637.
Conclusions
Treatment and prevention of RD is extremely cost-effective when compared to other treatment of other retinal diseases regardless of treatment modality. RD treatment costs did not vary widely, suggesting providers can tailor patient treatments solely on the basis of optimizing anticipated results since there were not overriding differences in financial impact.