Biomaterial Database

Cost-effective carotid endarterectomy. 1995

G Luna, and B Adye

Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Spokane 99204, USA.

BACKGROUND Carotid endarterectomy is the most common vascular procedure performed, with an annual cost of $1.2 billion. Efforts to control the cost associated with this procedure include limiting preoperative studies, avoiding admissions to the intensive care unit, and encouraging early postoperative discharge. METHODS To determine our surgical results and the cost associated with this procedure, we reviewed our experience at a single hospital and compared our cost data with those of other local facilities. RESULTS During an 18-month period we performed 65 carotid endarterectomies at one community hospital. The average per-patient hospital cost was $8,060, which was $3,510 less than the average cost at the other facilities in our city. The median length of postoperative stay in our hospital was 1 day. One patient died and there was 1 postoperative stroke. CONCLUSIONS Limited utilization of the intensive care unit and short postoperative stays reduced the overall hospital costs. Our 1.5% mortality and stroke rates demonstrate that these cost-saving measures can be implemented without adversely affecting patient outcome.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007362	Intensive Care Units	Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients.	ICU Intensive Care Units,Intensive Care Unit,Unit, Intensive Care
D007902	Length of Stay	The period of confinement of a patient to a hospital or other health facility.	Hospital Stay,Hospital Stays,Stay Length,Stay Lengths,Stay, Hospital,Stays, Hospital
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011182	Postoperative Care	The period of care beginning when the patient is removed from surgery and aimed at meeting the patient's psychological and physical needs directly after surgery. (From Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed)	Care, Postoperative,Postoperative Procedures,Procedures, Postoperative,Postoperative Procedure,Procedure, Postoperative
D011183	Postoperative Complications	Pathologic processes that affect patients after a surgical procedure. They may or may not be related to the disease for which the surgery was done, and they may or may not be direct results of the surgery.	Complication, Postoperative,Complications, Postoperative,Postoperative Complication
D011300	Preoperative Care	Care given during the period prior to undergoing surgery when psychological and physical preparations are made according to the special needs of the individual patient. This period spans the time between admission to the hospital to the time the surgery begins. (From Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed)	Care, Preoperative,Preoperative Procedure,Preoperative Procedures,Procedure, Preoperative,Procedures, Preoperative
D002533	Cerebral Angiography	Radiography of the vascular system of the brain after injection of a contrast medium.	Angiography, Cerebral,Angiographies, Cerebral,Cerebral Angiographies
D003362	Cost-Benefit Analysis	A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. In contrast a cost effectiveness in general compares cost with qualitative outcomes.	Cost and Benefit,Cost-Benefit Data,Benefits and Costs,Cost Benefit,Cost Benefit Analysis,Cost-Utility Analysis,Costs and Benefits,Economic Evaluation,Marginal Analysis,Analyses, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Utility,Analysis, Marginal,Benefit and Cost,Cost Benefit Analyses,Cost Benefit Data,Cost Utility Analysis,Cost-Benefit Analyses,Cost-Utility Analyses,Data, Cost-Benefit,Economic Evaluations,Evaluation, Economic,Marginal Analyses
D006764	Hospitals, Community	Institutions with permanent facilities and organized medical staff which provide the full range of hospital services primarily to a neighborhood area.	Community Hospital,Community Hospitals,Hospital, Community
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man