Tie Wang1, Hoon Yub Kim2, Che-Wei Wu3, Stefano Rausei4, Hui Sun5, Francesca Pia Pergolizzi6, Gianlorenzo Dionigi7. 1. Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Division of Thyroid Surgery, Changchun City, Jilin Province, China. 2. Department of Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. 4. Ospedale di Circolo - Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy. 5. Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Division of Thyroid Surgery, Changchun City, Jilin Province, China. Electronic address: thyroidjl@163.com. 6. Division for Endocrine and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University Hospital G. Martino, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy. 7. Division for Endocrine and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University Hospital G. Martino, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: gdionigi@unime.it.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The increasing use of intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroid surgery imposes an evaluation of cost-effectiveness. METHODS: The analysis estimated the cost versus utility of different alternatives that simulate nerve injury course and the consequences for the following cohorts of patients: (1) no RLN injury, or vocal fold palsy (VCP) recovery within 1 month (2), 2 months (3), 6 months (4), and after 12 months (5). In the model applied, the average simulated cohort consisted of a young female patient, 40 years old, employed, daily voice user, who underwent elective, conventional total thyroidectomy via cervical incision using a standardized intermittent IONM technique, for an operable benign, bilateral, diffuse, multinodular, non-toxic, non-retrosternal goiter. RESULTS: IONM was cost-ineffective when parameters such as the rates of transient vocal fold palsy (VCP) reached 38.5%. IONM was cost-effective if the rate of VCP was 33.6% at 1 month, 22.9% at 2 months, 9.8% at 6 months, and 3.8% at 12 months, independent of phono-surgery. The described scenario is cost-effective only in a high-volume setting. CONCLUSIONS: This study used simulation economic modeling to assess clinical and cost-effectiveness utility of IONM implementation. In light of the limitations of a simulation-based study, we conclusively assumed that IONM is cost-effective for permeant RLN injuries.
PURPOSE: The increasing use of intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroid surgery imposes an evaluation of cost-effectiveness. METHODS: The analysis estimated the cost versus utility of different alternatives that simulate nerve injury course and the consequences for the following cohorts of patients: (1) no RLN injury, or vocal fold palsy (VCP) recovery within 1 month (2), 2 months (3), 6 months (4), and after 12 months (5). In the model applied, the average simulated cohort consisted of a young female patient, 40 years old, employed, daily voice user, who underwent elective, conventional total thyroidectomy via cervical incision using a standardized intermittent IONM technique, for an operable benign, bilateral, diffuse, multinodular, non-toxic, non-retrosternal goiter. RESULTS: IONM was cost-ineffective when parameters such as the rates of transient vocal fold palsy (VCP) reached 38.5%. IONM was cost-effective if the rate of VCP was 33.6% at 1 month, 22.9% at 2 months, 9.8% at 6 months, and 3.8% at 12 months, independent of phono-surgery. The described scenario is cost-effective only in a high-volume setting. CONCLUSIONS: This study used simulation economic modeling to assess clinical and cost-effectiveness utility of IONM implementation. In light of the limitations of a simulation-based study, we conclusively assumed that IONM is cost-effective for permeant RLN injuries.
Authors: Jongjin Kim; Hyeon Jong Moon; Young Jun Chai; Jung-Man Lee; Ki-Tae Hwang; Che-Wei Wu; Gianlorenzo Dionigi; Hoon Yub Kim; Kyung Sik Park; Sang Wan Kim; Ka Hee Yi Journal: Int J Endocrinol Date: 2020-01-30 Impact factor: 3.257