Analysis of the additional costs of clinical complications in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the German Health Care System

Cost-Effectiveness of SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in German Severe Aortic Stenosis Patients at Low Surgical Mortality Risk

INTRODUCTION

In the randomized PARTNER 3 trial, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the SAPIEN 3 device significantly reduced a composite of all-cause death, stroke, and rehospitalization, compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and low risk of surgical mortality. Furthermore, TAVI has been shown to be cost-effective in low-risk patients, compared with SAVR, in a number of countries. This study aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness of TAVI with SAPIEN 3 versus SAVR in Germany.

METHODS

A previously published two-stage Markov-based model that captured clinical outcomes from the PARTNER 3 trial was adapted for the German context using the German Statutory Health Insurance perspective. The model had a lifetime horizon. The cost-utility analysis estimated changes in direct healthcare costs as well as survival and health-related quality of life using TAVI with SAPIEN 3 compared with SAVR.

RESULTS

TAVI with SAPIEN 3 increased quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) by + 0.72 at an increased cost of €8664 per patient. The incremental cost-effectiveness/QALY ratio was €12,037, which fell below that of other cardiovascular interventions in use in Germany. The cost-effectiveness of TAVI over SAVR remained robust across multiple challenging scenarios and was driven by lower longer-term management costs compared with SAVR.

CONCLUSIONS

TAVI with SAPIEN 3 appears to be a clinically meaningful, cost-effective treatment option over SAVR for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and low risk for surgical mortality in Germany.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov identifier: NCT02675114.

CSA-AKI: Incidence, Epidemiology, Clinical Outcomes, and Economic Impact

Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a common complication following cardiac surgery and reflects a complex biological combination of patient pathology, perioperative stress, and medical management. Current diagnostic criteria, though increasingly standardized, are predicated on loss of renal function (as measured by functional biomarkers of the kidney). The addition of new diagnostic injury biomarkers to clinical practice has shown promise in identifying patients at risk of renal injury earlier in their course. The accurate and timely identification of a high-risk population may allow for bundled interventions to prevent the development of CSA-AKI, but further validation of these interventions is necessary. Once the diagnosis of CSA-AKI is established, evidence-based treatment is limited to supportive care. The cost of CSA-AKI is difficult to accurately estimate, given the diverse ways in which it impacts patient outcomes, from ICU length of stay to post-hospital rehabilitation to progression to CKD and ESRD. However, with the global rise in cardiac surgery volume, these costs are large and growing.

Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Redo Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: An Updated Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate early results of valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) versus redo surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for structural valve degeneration (SVD).

BACKGROUND

ViV TAVR has been increasingly used for SVD, but it remains unknown whether it produces better or at least comparable results as redo SAVR.

METHODS

Observational studies comparing ViV TAVR and redo SAVR were identified in a systematic search of published research. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed, comparing clinical outcomes between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

Twelve publications including a total of 16,207 patients (ViV TAVR, n = 8,048; redo SAVR, n = 8,159) were included from studies published from 2015 to 2020. In the pooled analysis, ViV TAVR was associated with lower rates of 30-day mortality overall (odds ratio [OR]: 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32 to 0.87; p = 0.017) and for matched populations (OR: 0.419; 95% CI: 0.278 to 0.632; p = 0.003), stroke (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.76; p < 0.001), permanent pacemaker implantation (OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.22 to 2.43; p = 0.536), and major bleeding (OR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.93; p = 0.034), as well as with shorter hospital stay (OR: -3.30; 95% CI: -4.52 to -2.08; p < 0.001). In contrast, ViV TAVR was associated with higher rates of myocardial infarction (OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.23; p = 0.045) and severe patient-prosthesis mismatch (OR: 4.63; 95% CI: 3.05 to 7.03; p < 0.001). The search revealed an important lack of comparative studies with long-term results.

CONCLUSIONS

ViV TAVR is a valuable option in the treatment of patients with SVD because of its lower incidence of post-operative complications and better early survival compared with redo SAVR. However, ViV TAVR is associated with higher rates of myocardial infarction and severe patient-prosthesis mismatch.

The incidence and impact of cardiac conduction disturbances after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has developed into an established therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) across the spectrum of surgical risk. Despite improvements in transcatheter heart valve (THV) technologies and procedural techniques, cardiac conduction disturbances, including high degree atrioventricular block (AVB) requiring permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation and new-onset left bundle branch block (LBBB), remain frequent complications. TAVR-related conduction disturbances occur due to injury to the conduction system from interactions with interventional equipment and the transcatheter valve stent frame. Risk factors for post-TAVR conduction disturbances have been identified and include clinical characteristics, baseline electrocardiogram findings (right bundle branch block), anatomic factors, and potentially modifiable procedural factors (type of transcatheter valve, depth of implantation, over-sizing). New-onset LBBB and PPM implantation after TAVR have been shown to be associated with adverse long-term clinical outcomes, including mortality and heart failure hospitalization. These clinical consequences are likely to be of increasing importance as TAVR is utilized in younger and lower risk population. This review provides an updated overview of the literature regarding the incidence, predictors, and clinical outcomes of TAVR-related conduction disturbances, as well as proposed strategies for the management of this frequent clinical challenge.

Mechanical ventilation and the daily cost of ICU care

Background

Intensive care units represent one of the largest clinical cost centers in hospitals. Mechanical ventilation accounts for a significant share of this cost. There is a relative dearth of information quantifying the impact of ventilation on daily ICU cost. We thus determine daily costs of ICU care, incremental cost of mechanical ventilation per ICU day, and further differentiate cost by underlying diseases.

Methods

Total ICU costs, length of ICU stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation of all 10,637 adult patients treated in ICUs at a German hospital in 2013 were analyzed for never-ventilated patients (N = 9181), patients ventilated at least 1 day, (N = 1455) and all patients (N = 10,637). Total ICU costs were regressed on the number of ICU days. Finally, costs were analyzed separately by ICD-10 chapter of main diagnosis.

Results

Daily non-ventilated costs were €999 (95%CI €924 - €1074), and ventilated costs were €1590 (95%CI €1524 - €1657), a 59% increase. Costs per non-ventilated ICU day differed substantially and were lowest for endocrine, nutritional or metabolic diseases (€844), and highest for musculoskeletal diseases (€1357). Costs per ventilated ICU day were lowest for diseases of the circulatory system (€1439) and highest for cancer patients (€1594). The relative cost increase due to ventilation was highest for diseases of the respiratory system (94%) and even non-systematic for patients with musculoskeletal diseases (13%, p = 0.634).

Conclusions

Results show substantial variability of ICU costs for different underlying diseases and underline mechanical ventilation as an important driver of ICU costs.

The impact of hospital-acquired infections on the patient-level reimbursement-cost relationship in a DRG-based hospital payment system

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a common complication in inpatient care. We investigate the incentives to prevent HAIs under the German DRG-based reimbursement system. We analyze the relationship between resource use and reimbursements for HAI in 188,731 patient records from the University Medical Center Freiburg (2011-2014), comparing cases to appropriate non-HAI controls. Resource use is approximated using national standardized costing system data. Reimbursements are the actual payments to hospitals under the G-DRG system. Timing of HAI exposure, cost-clustering within main diagnoses and risk-adjustment are considered. The reimbursement-cost difference of HAI patients is negative (approximately - €4000). While controls on average also have a negative reimbursement-cost difference (approximately - €2000), HAI significantly increase this difference after controlling for confounding and timing of infection (- 1500, p < 0.01). HAIs caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococci have the most unfavorable reimbursement-cost difference (- €10,800), significantly higher (- €9100, p < 0.05) than controls. Among infection types, pneumonia is associated with highest losses (- €8400 and - €5700 compared with controls, p < 0.05), while cost-reimbursement relationship for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea is comparatively balanced (- €3200 and - €500 compared to controls, p = 0.198). From the hospital administration's perspective, it is not the additional costs of HAIs, but rather the cost-reimbursement relationship which guides decisions. Costs exceeding reimbursements for HAI may increase infection prevention and control efforts and can be used to show their cost-effectiveness from the hospital perspective.

Cost-utility of surgical sutureless bioprostheses vs TAVI in aortic valve replacement for patients at intermediate and high surgical risk

BACKGROUND

Meta-analyses of studies comparing transcatheter aortic valve implants (TAVIs) and sutureless aortic valve replacement (SU-AVR) show differing effectiveness and safety profiles. The approaches also differ in their surgical cost (including operating room and device).

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to assess the incremental cost-utility of SU-AVR vs TAVIs for the treatment of intermediate- to high-risk patients in the US, Germany, France, Italy, UK, and Australia.

METHODS

A patient-level simulation compares in-hospital pathways of patients undergoing SU-AVR or TAVIs; later, patient history is modeled at the cohort level. Hospital outcomes for TAVIs reproduce data from recent series; in SU-AVR patients, outcomes are obtained by applying relative efficacy estimates in a recent meta-analysis on 1,462 patients. After discharge, survival depends on the development of paravalvular leak and the need for dialysis. A comprehensive third-party payer perspective encompassing both in-hospital and long-term costs was adopted.

RESULTS

Due to lower in-hospital (4.1% vs 7.0%) and overall mortality, patients treated with SU-AVR are expected to live an average of 1.25 years more compared with those undergoing TAVIs, with a mean gain of 1.14 quality-adjusted life-years. Both in-hospital and long-term costs were lower for SU-AVR than for TAVIs with total savings ranging from $4,158 (France) to $20,930 (US).

CONCLUSION

SU-AVR results dominant when compared to TAVIs in intermediate- to high-risk patients. Both in-hospital and long-term costs are lower for SU-AVR than for TAVI patients, with concomitant significant gains in life expectancy, both raw and adjusted for the quality of life.

In-hospital costs of community-acquired colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms at a German teaching hospital

Background

Antibiotic resistance is a challenge in the management of infectious diseases and can cause substantial cost. Even without the onset of infection, measures must be taken, as patients colonized with multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens may transmit the pathogen. We aim to quantify the cost of community-acquired MDR colonizations using routine data from a German teaching hospital.

Methods

All 2006 cases of documented MDR colonization at hospital admission recorded from 2011 to 2014 are matched to 7917 unexposed controls with the same primary diagnosis. Cases with an onset MDR infection are excluded from the analysis. Routine data on costs per case is analysed for three groups of MDR bacteria: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GN). Multivariate analyses are conducted to adjust for potential confounders.

Results

After controlling for main diagnosis group, age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, MDR colonization is associated with substantial additional costs from the healthcare perspective (€1480.9, 95%CI €1286.4–€1675.5). Heterogeneity between pathogens remains. Colonization with MDR-GN leads to the largest cost increase (€1966.0, 95%CI €1634.6–€2297.4), followed by MRSA with €1651.3 (95%CI €1279.1–€2023.6), and VRE with €879.2 (95%CI €604.1–€1154.2). At the same time, MDR-GN is associated with additional reimbursements of €887.8 (95%CI €722.1–€1053.6), i.e. costs associated with MDR-colonization exceed reimbursement.

Conclusions

Even without the onset of invasive infection, documented MDR-colonization at hospital admission is associated with increased hospital costs, which are not fully covered within the German DRG-based hospital payment system.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3549-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The impact of post-procedural complications on reimbursement, length of stay and mechanical ventilation among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Germany

BACKGROUND

The impact of various post-procedural complications after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on resource use and their consequences in the German reimbursement system has still not been properly quantified.

METHODS

In a retrospective observational study, we use data from the German DRG statistic on patient characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of all isolated TAVI procedures in 2013 (N = 9147). The impact of post-procedural complications on reimbursement, length of stay and mechanical ventilation was analyzed using both unadjusted and risk-adjusted linear and logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 235 (2.57%) strokes, 583 (6.37%) bleeding events, 474 (5.18%) cases of acute kidney injury and 1428 (15.61%) pacemaker implantations were documented. The predicted reimbursement of an uncomplicated TAVI procedure was €33,272, and bleeding events were associated with highest additional reimbursement (€12,839, p < 0.001), extra length of stay (14.58 days, p < 0.001), and increased likelihood of mechanical ventilation for more than 48 h (OR 17.91, p < 0.001). A more moderate complication-related impact on resource use and reimbursement was found for acute kidney injury (additional reimbursement: €5963, p < 0.001; extra length of stay: 7.92 days, p < 0.001; ventilation >48 h: OR 6.93, p < 0.001) as well as for stroke (additional reimbursement: €4125, p < 0.001; extra length of stay: 4.68 days, p < 0.001; ventilation >48 h: OR 5.73, p < 0.001). Pacemaker implantations, in contrast, were associated with comparably small increases in reimbursement (€662, p = 0.006) and length of stay (3.54 days, p = 0.006) and no impaired likelihood of mechanical ventilation more than 48 h (OR 1.22, p = 0.156). Interestingly, these complication-related consequences remain mostly unchanged after baseline risk-adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Post procedural complications such as bleeding events, acute kidney injuries and strokes are associated with increased resource use and substantial amounts of additional reimbursement in Germany, which has important implications for decision making outside of the usual clinical sphere.

Two-year post-discharge costs of care among patients treated with transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement in Germany

Background

This study presents data on post-discharge costs of care among patients treated with transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement over a two year period.

Methods

Based on a prospective clinical trial, post-discharge utilization of health services and status of assistance were collected for 151 elderly patients via 2250 monthly telephone interviews, valued using standardized unit costs and analysed using two-part regression models.

Results

At month 1 post-discharge, total costs of care are substantially elevated (monthly mean: €3506.7) and then remain relatively stable over the following 23 months (monthly mean: €622.3). As expected, the majority of these costs are related to in-hospital care (~98% in month 1 post-discharge and ~72% in months 2–24). Patients that died during follow-up were associated with substantially higher cost estimates of in-hospital care than those surviving the two-year study period, while patients’ age and other patient characteristics were of minor relevance. Estimated costs of outpatient care are lower at month 1 than during the rest of the study period, and not affected by the event of death during follow-up. The estimated costs of nursing care are, in contrast, much higher in year 2 than in year 1 and differ substantially by gender and type of procedure as well as by patients’ age. Overall, these monthly cost estimates add up to €10,352 for the first and €7467.6 for the second year post-discharge.

Conclusions

Substantial cost increases at month 1 post-discharge and in case of death during follow-up are the main findings of the study, which should be taken into account in future economic evaluations on the topic. Application of standardized unit costs in combination with monthly patient interviews allows for a far more precise estimate of the variability in post-discharge health service utilization in this group of patients than the ones given in previous studies.

Trial registration

German Clinical Trial Register Nr. DRKS00000797.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2432-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors associated with length of stay following trans-catheter aortic valve replacement - a multicenter study

Background

Most patients undergoing Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVR) are elderly with significant co-morbidities and there is limited information available regarding factors that influence length of stay (LOS) post-procedure. The aim of this study was to identify the patient, and procedural factors that affect post-TAVR LOS using a contemporary multinational registry.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, with patients recruited from three high volume tertiary institutions. The primary outcome was the LOS post-TAVR procedure. We examined patient and procedural factors in a cause-specific Cox multivariable regression model to elucidate their effect on LOS, accounting for the competing risk of post-procedural death. Hazard ratios (HR) greater than 1 indicate a shorter LOS, while HRs less than 1 indicate a longer LOS.

Results

The cohort consisted of 809 patients. Patient factors associated with longer LOS were older age, prior atrial fibrillation, and greater patient urgency. Patient factors associated with shorter LOS were lower NYHA class, higher ejection fraction and higher mean aortic valve gradients.

Procedural characteristics associated with shorter LOS were conscious sedation (HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.06–1.35, p = 0.004). Transapical access was associated with prolonged LOS (HR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.41–0.58, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This multicenter study identified potentially modifiable patient and procedural factors associated with a prolonged LOS. Future research is needed to determine if interventions focused on these factors will translate to a shorter LOS.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12872-017-0573-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Learning Curves Among All Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Germany: A Retrospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a rapidly evolving technique for therapy of aortic stenosis. Previous studies report learning curves with respect to in-hospital mortality and clinical complications. We aim to determine whether observed improvements of in-hospital outcomes after TAVI are the result of improvements in procedures or due to a change in the patient population, and whether improvements differ between the transfemoral (TF) and the transapical (TA) approach.

METHODS

Data was analyzed using risk-adjusted regression analyses in order to track the development of clinical outcomes of all isolated TAVI procedures performed in Germany from 2008 to 2013 (N=32.436) in all German hospitals performing TAVI. Measurements include in-hospital mortality, stroke, bleeding, and mechanical ventilation.

RESULTS

Unadjusted mortality rates decrease over time for both TA-TAVI and TF-TAVI. Reductions in mortality were smaller for TA-TAVI than for TF-TAVI. These trends could also be observed for risk-adjusted (standardized) mortality rates, indicating that time trends and differences between TA-TAVI (around 7% in 2013) and TF-TAVI (around 4% in 2013) cannot be explained by changes in the risk factor composition of the patient populations. Bleeding complications decreased for both access routes. Both unadjusted and standardized bleeding rates were substantially higher for TA-TAVI. In addition, TA-TAVI procedures were associated with an increased likelihood of requiring >48h of mechanical ventilation.

CONCLUSIONS

Observed improvements in TAVI-related in-hospital mortality are not due to a change in patient population. The results indicate the superiority of a TF-first approach.

Mortality and cost of acute and chronic kidney disease after cardiac surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Acute and chronic kidney diseases (AKI and CKD) have far-reaching implications for surgical patients in regards to postoperative outcomes and hospital cost. We review the recent literature on the effects of AKI and CKD on morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization among cardiac surgery patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Both AKI and CKD increase the risk for short-term and long-term mortalities, morbidity, length of stay, and hospital cost among postoperative patients, with increasing disease stage correlating with worse outcomes. Even the mildest forms of AKI (RIFLE-R) and CKD (proteinuria without an observed reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate) demonstrate worse clinical outcomes compared with patients with no AKI or CKD. Outcomes are worse even in patients who achieve full renal recovery before hospital discharge. These complications dramatically increase ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, resource utilization, and both in-hospital and postdischarge costs, as evidenced by lower rates of discharges to home.

SUMMARY

AKI and CKD remain prevalent, morbid, and costly conditions for cardiac surgery patients. Better risk stratification, early diagnosis, and earlier interventions are needed to prevent the consequences of these diseases.

Drivers of healthcare costs associated with the episode of care for surgical aortic valve replacement versus transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Objective

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is generally more expensive than surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) due to the high cost of the device. Our objective was to understand the patient and procedural drivers of cumulative healthcare costs during the index hospitalisation for these procedures.

Design

All patients undergoing TAVI, isolated SAVR or combined SAVR+coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at 7 hospitals in Ontario, Canada were identified during the fiscal year 2012–2013. Data were obtained from a prospective registry. Cumulative healthcare costs during the episode of care were determined using microcosting. To identify drivers of healthcare costs, multivariable hierarchical generalised linear models with a logarithmic link and γ distribution were developed for TAVI, SAVR and SAVR+CABG separately.

Results

Our cohort consisted of 1310 patients with aortic stenosis, of whom 585 underwent isolated SAVR, 518 had SAVR+CABG and 207 underwent TAVI. The median costs for the index hospitalisation for isolated SAVR were $21 811 (IQR $18 148–$30 498), while those for SAVR+CABG were $27 256 (IQR $21 741–$39 000), compared with $42 742 (IQR $37 295–$56 196) for TAVI. For SAVR, the major patient-level drivers of costs were age >75 years, renal dysfunction and active endocarditis. For TAVI, chronic lung disease was a major patient-level driver. Procedural drivers of cost for TAVI included a non-transfemoral approach. A prolonged intensive care unit stay was associated with increased costs for all procedures.

Conclusions

We found wide variation in healthcare costs for SAVR compared with TAVI, with different patient-level drivers as well as potentially modifiable procedural factors. These highlight areas of further study to optimise healthcare delivery.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Lower-Risk Patients With Aortic Stenosis

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation underwent progressive improvements until it became the default therapy for inoperable patients, and a recommended therapy in high-risk operable patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. In the lower-risk patient strata, a currently costly therapy that still has important complications with questionable durability is competing with the established effective and still-improving surgical replacement. This report tries to weigh the clinical evidence, the recent technical improvements, the durability, and the cost-effectiveness claims supporting the adoption of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in intermediate-low risk patients. The importance of appropriate patients’ risk stratification and a more comprehensive approach to estimate that risk are also emphasized in the present report.

Permanent Pacemaker Implantation after TAVR - Predictors and Impact on Outcomes

The number of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) worldwide is increasing steadily. Atrioventricular conduction disturbances, with or without the need for permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation, are one of the most common adverse events after TAVR. Among transcatheter heart valves (THV), rates of conduction abnormalities vary from less than 10 % to more than 50 %. Depending on the reported data referred to, historical data showed that up to one-third of the patients required implantation of a PPM following TAVR. Although generally considered as a minor complication, PPM may have a profound impact on prognosis and quality of life after TAVR. Current data support the hypothesis that conduction abnormalities leading to pacemaker dependency result from mechanical compression of the conduction system by the prosthesis stent frame and individual predisposing conduction defects such as right bundle-branch block (RBBB). With several large randomised trials and registry studies having been published recently and second generation THV having been introduced, the debate about predictors for pacemaker implantation and their impact on outcome after TAVR is still ongoing.