The following is a summary of “Catheter ablation for supraventricular tachycardia and health resource utilization and expenditures: A propensity-matched cohort study, published in the May 2024 issue of Cardiology by Chew et al.
After a patient goes through catheter ablation for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), health resource utilization (HRU) and expenditure patterns are poorly understood.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study analyzing HRU and cost differences in patients with PSVT who had catheter ablation versus those on medication alone.
They used a large US database to identify adults (18-65 years old) diagnosed with PSVT between 2008 and 2016. A total of 2,556 adults were identified and compared after being randomly assigned to either an ablation or medication group. Later, healthcare use and treatment expenditures were analyzed 3 years before and after the diagnosis.
The results showed that, In the first year after diagnosis, ablation would cost significantly more than medication therapy ($48,004 vs. $17,560; P<0.001), primarily because of the procedure itself ($32,057 ± SD 26,737). By Years 2 and 3, costs for ablation patients dropped to match those on medical therapy. However, fewer ablation patients needed certain heart medications (32% vs. 42% on medical therapy; p < 0.001).
Investigators concluded that catheter ablation reduces the medication burden in PSVT. However, after 2 years, costs are equal those on medication alone. More research is needed to understand why costs stay high.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167527324001967