Reinterventions and medical costs after tetralogy of Fallot repair: a retrospective cohort study using health insurance claims in Japan.

Abstract

Background: Reinterventions after congenital heart disease surgery include not only reoperations but also medical catheter interventions, and the details of these treatment realities are often unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the medical and surgical reinterventions and associated medical costs after the tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) repair using Japanese health insurance claims data.

Methods and results: We analyzed reinterventions and medical costs from insurance claims data of patients who underwent TOF repair between 2005 and 2021. Of 174 patients who underwent TOF repair, 23 (13.2%) received a total of 34 reinterventions. These included 23 percutaneous catheter interventions and 11 reoperations. The 5-year reintervention-free rate was 87.5% overall, 94.9% for surgeries with right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction (N = 130), and 65.6% for surgeries with peripheral pulmonary artery plasty (N = 44). The median (interquartile range) medical cost for patients without reintervention was ¥5.33 million (4.62-7.14 million) and the cost for the patients with reintervention was ¥ 10.59 million (7.73-13.97 million).

Conclusion: Using Japanese insurance claims data, we analyzed the reoperation and catheter intervention after the TOF repair. The reintervention-free rate after TOF repair differed significantly by surgical procedure with a tendency for poorer postoperative prognosis, particularly in cases involving the peripheral pulmonary artery plasty. These analysis results may contribute to predicting outcomes after TOF repair for healthcare professionals.