title: Heart transplantation versus continuous-flow left ventricular assist device: comprehensive cost at 1 year.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With health care reform firmly on the horizon, it is critical to understand the costs associated with new technologies such as continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) compared with well established treatments such as heart transplantation (HT). Scarce data exist describing the costs of these 2 therapies after 1 year of support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population consisted of 20 consecutive subjects who underwent implantation of a CF-LVAD and 20 consecutive subjects who underwent HT and survived ≥1 year. Comprehensive cost calculation included all direct and indirect costs from day of operation through 365 days and were inflation adjusted to 2010 US dollars. Hospital charges were converted to costs with the use of hospital-specific cost-to-charge ratios and were analyzed by time segment as well as cost center. The total 1-year cost was higher in the CF-LVAD group, although this difference did not reach statistical significance ($369,519 [interquartile range [IQR] $321,020-$520,395] vs $329,648 [IQR $278,924-$395,456]; P = .242). In both groups, the index admission constituted >50% of the total 1-year cost and the major drivers of expense by cost center were organ/device acquisition, room and board, and professional fees.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients surviving to 1 year on CF-LVAD support accrued costs similar to those of HT recipients; however, the total cost, at more than one-third of a million dollars, remains high. Reduction in the postoperative length of stay offers an avenue for significant cost savings.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Electronic address: snepatel@montefiore.org.
authors.forename: Snehal R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Financial Services, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sileo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Sampath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Mechanical circulatory support; costs; heart transplantation