Cost effectiveness of lung volume reduction surgery

Lung-volume–reduction surgery (LVRS) is a treatment for patients who have severe emphysema. Originally developed in the 1950s, the procedure was abandoned because of excessive rates of complications—primarily air leaks—in patients undergoing the procedure. Advances in surgical techniques led to a resurgence of LVRS in the 1990s; however, methodological limitations of early evaluations of this procedure created uncertainties about its efficacy and concerns about the implications of rapid diffusion of an unproven technology . Although rarely stated explicitly in the early years of its development, economics has always been an important factor influencing the evaluation of LVRS. The high cost of the operation and perioperative follow-up care coupled with the large prevalence of individuals who have emphysema in the United States raised speculation that LVRS could increase national health expenditures by hundreds of millions of dollars annually . In an era of rapid rising health care costs and tightening health care budgets, LVRS was a clear candidate for economic evaluation.

Source: Chest Surgery Clinics of North America - November 1, 2003 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Scott D. Ramsey Source Type: research