COST ANALYSIS OF SCLERAL BUCKLE, PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY, AND PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY WITH SCLERAL BUCKLE FOR RETINAL DETACHMENT REPAIR.

PURPOSE

To compare the cost and utility of scleral buckle (SB), pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and PPV with SB (PPV/SB) for moderately complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair.

METHODS

Cost-utility analysis using data from the Primary Retinal Detachment Outcomes Study. The model estimated costs, lifetime utility, and lifetime cost per quality-adjusted life year for treatment of moderately complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with SB, PPV, or PPV/SB. Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were used to calculate costs in hospital and ambulatory surgery center settings.

RESULTS

Total costs (2020 US dollars) for repair of a moderately complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in hospital (ambulatory surgery center) settings were $5,975 ($3,774) for the SB group, $8,125 ($5,082) for the PPV group, and $7,551 ($4,713) for the PPV/SB group. The estimated lifetime quality-adjusted life years gained were 5.4, 4.7, and 4.7 in the SB, PPV, and PPV/SB groups, respectively. The cost per quality-adjusted life year for hospital and ambulatory surgery center settings was $1,106 a ($699) for the SB group, $1729 ($1,081) for the PPV group, and $1,607 ($1,003) for the PPV/SB group.

CONCLUSION

Scleral buckle, PPV, and PPV/SB yielded very favorable cost-utility results for the repair of moderately complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, with slightly better results for SB, compared with current willingness to pay standards.