Reduction of direct costs in high-risk lumbar discectomy patients during the 90-day post-operative period through annular closure.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Despite being an extremely successful procedure, recurrent disc herniation is one of the most common post-discectomy complications in the lumbar spine and contributes significant health care and socioeconomic costs. Patients with large annular defects are at a high risk for reherniation, but an annular closure device (ACD) has been designed to reduce reherniation risk in this population and may, in turn, help control direct health care costs after discectomy.

Patients and methods

This analysis examined the 90-day post-discectomy cost estimates among ACD-treated (n=272) and control (discectomy alone; n=278) patients in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Direct medical costs were estimated based on 2017 Humana and Medicare claims. Index discectomies were assumed to o

SUBMITTER: Thaci B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6400234 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature