CardioExchange Archive

CardioExchange, an NEJM practice community for medical professionals dedicated to improving cardiac patient care, was active from 2009 to 2015. CardioExchange fostered discussion between clinicians from across the globe.

April 3rd, 2011

PARTNER B Substudy Examines Cost-Effectiveness of TAVI

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is about as cost-effective as other common cardiovascular procedures, according to results of the PARTNER B cost-effectiveness substudy, which were presented today at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans. (The main results of PARTNER B, which studied the safety and efficacy of TAVI in patients with severe aortic stenosis who were not candidates for surgical treatment, were presented and published last year.)

Matthew Reynolds reported that the admission cost of TAVI,  including both hospital and physician fees, as well as an estimated $30,000 cost for the device, was $78,000. In the following 12 months, patients in the control group were twice as likely to be hospitalized than those in the TAVI group; the number of hospital days was 20 for control patients compared to 9 for TAVI patients. The followup costs at 1 year were $29,352 in the TAVI group compared to $52,724 in the control group.

The investigators projected the life expectancy of patients in TAVI as 3.11 years and the control group as 1.23 years. They then calculated the cost effectiveness of TAVI versus control as $50,000 per life year. However, when they calculated the quality-adjusted life years the incremental cost of TAVI was $79,837.

In his summary, Reynolds said that the “overall 1-year costs remained substantially higher with [TAVI].” Reynolds said that the cost-effectiveness of TAVI was better than dialysis and comparable to AF ablation and dabigatran.

He concluded: “For patients with severe aortic stenosis who are unsuitable for surgical valve replacement, [TAVI] significantly increases life expectancy at an incremental cost per life year gained that is well within accepted values for commonly used cardiovascular technologies.”

For more of our ACC.11 coverage of late-breaking clinical trials, interviews with the authors of the most important research, and blogs from our fellows on the most interesting presentations at the meeting, check out our Coverage Roundup.

Categories: Cardiac Surgery
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