Cost-effectiveness modelling of percutaneous coronary interventions in stable coronary artery disease

The objective of this study is to develop a cost-effectiveness model comparing drug eluting stents(DES) vs bare metal stent(BMS) in patients suffering of stable coronary artery disease. Using a 2-years time horizon, two simulation models have been developed: BMS first line strategy and DES first line strategy. Direct medical costs were estimated considering ambulatory and hospital costs. The effectiveness endpoint was defined as treatment success, which is the absence of major adverse cardiac events. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were carried out using 10000 Monte-Carlo simulations. DES appeared slightly more efficacious over 2 years(60% of success) when compared to BMS(58% of success). Total costs over 2 years were estimated at 9303 € for the DES and at 8926 € for bare metal stent. Hence, corresponding mean cost-effectiveness ratios showed slightly lower costs(P < 0.05) per success for the BMS strategy(15520 €/success), as compared to the DES strategy(15588 €/success). Incremental costeffectiveness ratio is 18850 € for one additional percent of success. The sequential strategy including BMS as the first option appears to be slightly less efficacious but more cost-effective compared to the strategy including DES as first option. Future modelling approaches should confirm these results as further comparative data in stable coronary artery disease and long-term evidence become available.

Bilateral vs unilateral internal mammary revascularization in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

AIM To investigate the survival benefit of bilateral internal mammary artery(BIMA) grafts in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.METHODS Between 1996 and 2009,we performed elective,isolated,primary,multiple cardiac arterial bypass grafting in 430 consecutive patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40%. The early and long-term results were compared between 167 patients undergoing BIMA grafting and 263 patients using left internal mammary artery(LIMA)-saphenous venous grafting(SVG).RESULTS The mean age of the overall population was 60.1 ± 15 years. In-hospital mortality was not different between the two groups(7.8% vs 10.3%,P = 0.49). Early postoperative morbidity included myocardial infarction(4.2% vs 3.8%,P = 0.80),stroke(1.2% vs 3.8%,P = 0.14),and mediastinitis(5.3% vs 2.3%,P = 0.11). At 8-year follow-up,Kaplan-Meier-estimated survival(74.2% vs 58.9%,P = 0.02) and Kaplan-Meier-estimated event-free survival(all cause deaths,myocardial infarction,stroke,target vessel revascularization,heart failure)(61.7% and 41.1%,P < 0.01) were significantly higher in the BIMA group compared with the LIMA-SVG group in univariate analysis. The propensity score matching analysis confirmed that BIMA grafting is a safe revascularization procedure but there was no long term survival(P = 0.40) and event-free survival(P = 0.13) in comparison with LIMA-SVG use.CONCLUSION Our longitudinal analysis suggests that BIMA grafting can be performed with acceptable perioperative mortality in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.