Cost-effectiveness analysis for trigeminal neuralgia: Cyberknife vs microvascular decompression

Original Research

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Authors: Rosanna Tarricone, Giovanni Aguzzi, Francesco Musi, Laura Fariselli, Andrea Casasco

Published Date June 2008 Volume 2008:4(3) Pages 647 - 652

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S2827

Rosanna Tarricone¹, Giovanni Aguzzi¹, Francesco Musi¹, Laura Fariselli², Andrea Casasco³

¹Economic Evaluation Area, CERGAS Centre for Research on Healthcare Management-Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; ²Radiotherapy Department, Carlo Besta National Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy; ³Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Milan, Italy

Background/Aims: We present the preliminary results of a cost-effectiveness analysis of cyberknife radiosurgery (CKR) versus microvascular decompression (MVD) for patients with medically unresponsive trigeminal neuralgia.

Methods: Direct healthcare costs from hospital’s perspective attributable to CKR and MVD were collected. Pain level caused by trigeminal neuralgia was measured through the Barrow Neurological Institute pain intensity scoring criteria, at admission and after an average of 6 months follow-up.

Results: 20 patients for both arms were enrolled, for a total of 40 patients. The two procedures resulted equally effective at 6 month follow-up, with different resources consumption: CKR reducing hospital costs by an average of 34% per patient. The robustness of these results was confirmed in appropriate sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion: CKR resulted to be a cost-saving alternative compared with the surgical intervention.

Keywords: decision-making, cost-effectiveness analysis, Cyberknife, microvascular decompression, trigeminal neuralgia