Decompression With or Without Fusion for Lumbar Stenosis: A Cost Minimization Analysis.

Abstract

Retrospective database review.Compare 1-year episode of care costs between single-level decompression and decompression plus fusion for lumbar stenosis.Lumbar stenosis is the most common indication for surgery in patients over 65. Medicare direct hospital costs for lumbar surgery reached $1.65 billion in 2007. Despite stenosis being a common indication for surgery, there is debate as to the preferred surgical treatment. Cost-minimization analysis is a framework that identifies potential cost savings between treatment options that have similar outcomes. We performed a cost-minimization analysis of decompression versus decompression with fusion for lumbar stenosis from the payer perspective.An administrative claims database of privately insured patients (Humana) identified patients who underwent decompression (n?=?5349) or decompression with fusion (n?=?8540) for lumbar stenosis with and without spondylolisthesis and compared overall costs. All patients were identified and costs identified for a 1-year period. Complication rates and costs were described using summary statistics.Mean treatment costs at 1 year after surgery were higher for patients who underwent decompression and fusion compared to patients who underwent decompression alone ($20,892 for fusion vs. $6329 for decompression; P?

View details for DOI 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003250

View details for PubMedID 32045402