Endovascular Thrombectomy Alone for Large Vessel Occlusion: A Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation Based on Meta-Analyses

Chi Phuong Nguyen*, Maarten M H Lahr, Durk-Jouke van der Zee, Leon A Rinkel, Henk van Voorst, Florentina M E Pinckaers, Fabiano Cavalcante, Natalie E LeCouffe, Manon Kappelhof, Kilian M Treurniet, Jonathan M Coutinho, Charles B L M Majoie, Yvo B W E M Roos, Erik Buskens, Maarten Uyttenboogaart, CONTRAST Consortium

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The benefit of intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase before endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion remains debated. In this study, we analyzed the cost-effectiveness of EVT alone versus intravenous alteplase before EVT in patients directly admitted to EVT-capable stroke centers from the Dutch health care payer perspective. METHODS: A decision analysis was performed using a Markov model with 15-year simulated follow-up to estimate total costs, quality-adjusted life years, and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of intravenous alteplase before EVT compared with EVT alone. A hypothetical cohort of 10 000 patients with large vessel occlusion aged 70 years was run in Monte Carlo simulation. Functional outcome of each treatment was derived from pooled results of 6 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Uncertainty was assessed by probabilistic analyses, scenario analyses, and 1-way sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Using functional outcomes obtained from 6 RCTs (intention-to-treat population), intravenous alteplase before EVT resulted in 0.05 quality-adjusted life years gained at an additional $2817 compared with EVT alone, resulting in the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $62 287. Probabilistic analyses showed that intravenous alteplase before EVT had a probability of 45% and 54%, respectively, of being cost-effective at the $52 500 and $84 000 thresholds. Restricting functional outcomes from our post hoc modified as-treated analysis of 6 RCTs (scenario 1), European RCTs (scenario 2), or a Dutch RCT (scenario 3), intravenous alteplase before EVT was cost-effective in 64%, 81%, and 50% of simulations at the $52 500 threshold, and 79%, 91%, and 67% of simulations at the $84 000 threshold. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous alteplase before EVT was not cost-effective in patients with large vessel occlusion in the Netherlands at the $52 500 threshold but possibly cost-effective at the $84 000 threshold. Variable functional outcomes at 3 months based on different trial populations affected the cost-effectiveness of intravenous alteplase before EVT.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2482-2491
Number of pages10
JournalStroke
Volume55
Issue number10
Early online date12 Aug 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2024

Keywords

  • health care costs
  • quality-adjusted life years
  • stroke
  • thrombectomy
  • tissue-type plasminogen activator

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