SPORT Data Quantifies Cost-Effectiveness of Laminectomy, Fusion
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, JANUARY 5, 2009
Using the data collected from the SPORT trial, researchers at Rush University Medical Center evaluated the cost-effectiveness of spinal surgery in stenosis patients with and without spondylolisthesis.
The study considered the direct and indirect costs of laminectomy and fusion against quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained. Among 320 stenosis patients who underwent a laminectomy, the cost of the surgery was $77,000 per each QALY gained. For 344 spondylolisthesis patients, fusion cost about $115,000 per QALY gained. As noted in a report from Science Daily, the U.S. threshold for cost effectiveness is $100,000 per QALY gained.
The study's authors also point out that the data covers only a two-year follow-up period, and that surgical treatment could prove to be more cost-effective over a larger period of time.
