A comparison of the costs and effects of liver transplantation for acute and for chronic liver failure.
Little is known about costs and cost-effectiveness of liver transplantation (LTx) for acute liver failure compared to costs and cost-effectiveness of LTx for chronic liver failure. In this study, costs of acute and of chronic LTx patients were determined in a retrospective study. Files of 100 consecutive patients who underwent LTx in 1993-1997 were studied. Costs up to 1 year after LTx were Euro 107,675 (chronic liver failure) and Euro 90,792 (acute liver failure). The difference was mainly caused by higher hospitalisation costs and higher personnel costs for chronic liver failure. Medication costs for acute liver failure were higher, due to a high administration rate of expensive anti-HBs immunoglobulin therapy in patients with viral hepatitis B. LTx for chronic liver failure is more costly and seems to be more cost-effective than LTx for acute liver failure, since 1-year survival is higher in patients who underwent transplantation for chronic liver failure.
van Agthoven
M
M
Department of Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. vanagthoven@bmg.eur.nl
Metselaar
H J
HJ
Tilanus
H W
HW
de Man
R A
RA
IJzermans
J N
JN
Martin van Ineveld
B M
BM
D000208:Acute Disease / Q000191:economics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000191:economics* / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged