Medicare expenditures for elderly patients undergoing surgical clipping or endovascular intervention for unruptured cerebral aneurysms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The cost difference between the two treatment options (surgical clipping and endovascular therapy) for unruptured cerebral aneurysms remains an issue of debate. We investigated the association between treatment method for unruptured cerebral aneurysms and Medicare expenditures in elderly patients.

Methods

We performed a cohort study of 100% Medicare fee-for-service claims data for elderly patients who underwent treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms from 2007 to 2012. In order to control for measured confounding we used multivariable regression analysis with mixed effects to account for clustering at the Hospital Referral Region (HRR) level. An instrumental variable (regional rates of endovascular treatment) analysis was used to control for unmeasured confoun

SUBMITTER: Bekelis K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5035560 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature