Adhesion reduction agents in gynaecological procedures: can NHS aff ord it? An economic cost efficiency analysis

Abstract

We examined the total costs to the National Health Service (NHS, UK) paid to treat adhesion complications and determine the theoretical savings and cost-effectiveness incurred if anti-adhesion agents were adopted. Using Healthcare Resource Groups (HRG) codes, we calculated the costs incurred through Payment by Results (PbR) and then calculated the financial savings that could be realised through the use of anti-adhesion agents. There were 62,186 adhesion-related consultant episodes between 2004 and 2008 encountered within the NHS. If an anti-adhesion agent cost £110 per usage, and can reduce adhesions in 25% of patients undergoing surgery, assuming that 25% of patients were readmitted in the first year after the primary surgery, the financial cost to the health service is, at best, savings of more than £700,000 and at worst, cost neutral to the NHS.

Keywords::

• Adhesions
• adhesion reduction agents
• economic cost

Declaration of interest: Nordic supported the administrative cost of writing this paper, including accessing the national database to obtain the data set required. No direct payment to any authors has been received. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.