The costs of endovascular in-hospital treatment of critical limb ischemia in patients who finally inderwent leg amputation. A one-center experience

Background. Currently, the average amputation free survival in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) amounts to 76% after one year of follow-up. Such poor prognosis raises the question: is revascularization in patients with CLI cost-effective? The aim of this study was to conduct a cost analysis of vascular care in patients with CLI. The aim of this study was to conduct a cost analysis of vascular care in patients with CLI. Patients and methods. A retrospective cost analysis of in-hospital endovascular treatment in 37 patients with CLI who underwent secondary leg amputation between January 2012 and June 2015. Results. The average length of time between the first endovascular procedure due to CLI and leg amputation amounted to 214 days (range 8-1088 days). The total cost of hospitalizations before leg amputation amounted to 687 603.13 PLN, which is, on average, 18 583.87 PLN per patient, and 86.84 PLN per person per day for living with the preserved lower limb. The total costs associated with the patients who had undergone leg amputation amounted to 404 883.24 PLN, which is an average of 10 942.79 PLN per patient. Previous endovascular procedures accounted for 58.9% of this sum and 37.1% to total management costs for the patients. Conclusions. The cost per day of endovascular treatment that makes it possible to live with two lower limbs did not exceed the established cost-effectiveness threshold. Lower limb amputation increases the costs of in-hospital patient care by 59%, represents financial wastage for the hospital, and incurs other costs not easily measured.