Cost-effectiveness of endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke with large infarct in China

BackgroundEndovascular therapy administered within 24 hours has been shown to improve outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke with large infarction, but the data on its cost-effectiveness are limited. ObjectiveTo evaluate the cost-effectiveness of endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke with large infarction in China, the largest low- and middle-income country. MethodsA short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model were used to analyze the cost-effectiveness of endovascular therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke with large infarction. Outcomes, transition probability, and cost data were obtained from a recent clinical trial and published literature. The benefit of endovascular therapy was assessed by the cost per quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained in the short and long term. Deterministic one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the results. ResultsCompared with medical management alone, endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke with large infarction was found to be cost-effective from the fourth year onward and during a lifetime. In the long term, endovascular therapy yielded a lifetime gain of 1.33 QALYs at an additional cost of yen 73 900 (US$ 11 400), resulting in an incremental cost of yen 55 500 (US$ 8530) per QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that endovascular therapy was cost-effective in 99.5% of the simulation runs at a willingness-to-pay threshold of yen 243 000 (3 x gross domestic product per capita of China in 2021) per QALY gained. ConclusionsEndovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke with large infarction could be cost-effective in China.

Automated summary

Endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke with large infarction may be cost-effective in China. The study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of endovascular therapy for this condition and found that it was cost-effective compared to medical management alone, starting from the fourth year and throughout the lifetime.