title: Comparative Cost Analysis for Surgical and Endovascular Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in South Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A cost comparison of the surgical clipping and endovascular coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), and the identification of the principal cost determinants of these treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study conducted a retrospective review of data from a series of patients who underwent surgical clipping or endovascular coiling of UIAs between January 2011 and May 2014. The medical records, radiological data, and hospital cost data were all examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When comparing the total hospital costs for surgical clipping of a single UIA (n=188) and endovascular coiling of a single UIA (n=188), surgical treatment [mean±standard deviation (SD) : ₩8,280,000±1,490,000] resulted in significantly lower total hospital costs than endovascular treatment (mean±SD : ₩11,700,000±3,050,000, p<0.001). In a multi regression analysis, the factors significantly associated with the total hospital costs for endovascular treatment were the aneurysm diameter (p<0.001) and patient age (p=0.014). For the endovascular group, a Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (r=0.77) between the aneurysm diameter and the total hospital costs, while a simple linear regression provided the equation, y (₩)=6,658,630+855,250x (mm), where y represents the total hospital costs and x is the aneurysm diameter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In South Korea, the total hospital costs for the surgical clipping of UIAs were found to be lower than those for endovascular coiling when the surgical results were favorable without significant complications. Plus, a strong positive correlation was noted between an increase in the aneurysm diameter and a dramatic increase in the costs of endovascular coiling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Research Center for Neurosurgical Robotic Systems, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Myungsoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Research Center for Neurosurgical Robotic Systems, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaechan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Cell & Matrix Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Joomi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Endovascular procedures; Hospital costs; Intracranial aneurysm; Surgical procedures