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de la Plaza Llamas R, Ortega Azor L, Hernández Yuste M, Gorini L, Latorre-Fragua RA, Díaz Candelas DA, Al Shwely Abduljabar F, Gemio del Rey IA. Quality-adjusted life years and surgical waiting list: Systematic review of the literature. World J Gastrointest Surg 2024; 16:1155-1164. [PMID: 38690041 PMCID: PMC11056653 DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i4.1155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a metric that is increasingly used today in the field of health economics to evaluate the value of different medical treatments and procedures. Surgical waiting lists (SWLs) represent a pressing problem in public healthcare. The QALY measure has rarely been used in the context of surgery. It would be interesting to know how many QALYs are lost by patients on SWLs. AIM To investigate the relationship between QALYs and SWLs in a systematic review of the scientific literature. METHODS The study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement. An unlimited search was carried out in PubMed, updated on January 19, 2024. Data on the following variables were investigated and analyzed: Specialty, country of study, procedure under study, scale used to measure QALYs, the use of a theoretical or real-life model, objectives of the study and items measured, the economic value assigned to the QALY in the country in question, and the results and conclusions published. RESULTS Forty-eight articles were selected for the study. No data were found regarding QALYs lost on SWLs. The specialties in which QALYs were studied the most in relation to the waiting list were urology and general surgery, with 15 articles each. The country in which the most studies of QALYs were carried out was the United States (n = 21), followed by the United Kingdom (n = 9) and Canada (n = 7). The most studied procedure was organ transplantation (n = 39), including 15 kidney, 14 liver, 5 heart, 4 lung, and 1 intestinal. Arthroplasty (n = 4), cataract surgery (n = 2), bariatric surgery (n = 1), mosaicplasty (n = 1), and septoplasty (n = 1) completed the surgical interventions included. Thirty-nine of the models used were theoretical (the most frequently applied being the Markov model, n = 34), and nine were real-life. The survey used to measure quality of life in 11 articles was the European Quality of Life-5 dimensions, but in 32 articles the survey was not specified. The willingness-to-pay per QALY gained ranged from $100000 in the United States to €20000 in Spain. CONCLUSION The relationship between QALYs and SWLs has only rarely been studied in the literature. The rate of QALYs lost on SWLs has not been determined. Future research is warranted to address this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto de la Plaza Llamas
- Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 19002, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorena Ortega Azor
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Hernández Yuste
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ludovica Gorini
- Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 19002, Spain
| | - Raquel Aránzazu Latorre-Fragua
- Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 19002, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Farah Al Shwely Abduljabar
- Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 19002, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Antonio Gemio del Rey
- Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 19002, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28871, Madrid, Spain
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Nunez M, Kelkar AA. Hepatitis C and heart transplantation: An update. Clin Transplant 2023; 37:e15111. [PMID: 37650430 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.15111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
There are limited data regarding heart transplantation in the setting of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in either recipients or donors, as the practice was infrequent, given concerns of worse post-transplant outcomes. This changed dramatically after the development of highly effective HCV therapies, namely direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Additionally, nucleic acid testing currently in use establishes more precisely the risk of HCV transmission from donors. As a result, chronic HCV infection in itself is no longer a barrier for heart transplant candidates, and the use of HCV-positive organs for HCV-infected and non-infected transplant candidates has increased dramatically. A review of the literature revealed that in the pre-DAA era, HCV seropositive heart transplant patients had a higher mortality than their seronegative counterparts. However, short-term data suggest that the differences in survival have been erased in the DAA era. Heart transplantation from HCV-viremic donors to HCV-uninfected recipients has become increasingly common as the number of deceased donors with HCV viremia has increased over the past years. Preliminary outcome reports are very encouraging, although further data are needed with regard to long-term safety. New information continues to be incorporated to optimize protocols that guide this practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Nunez
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Infectious Diseases, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anita A Kelkar
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Kernersville VA Health Care System, Kernesville, North Carolina, USA
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Woolley AE, Gandhi AR, Jones ML, Kim JJ, Mallidi HR, Givertz MM, Baden LR, Mehra MR, Neilan AAM. The Cost-effectiveness of Transplanting Hearts From Hepatitis C-infected Donors Into Uninfected Recipients. Transplantation 2023; 107:961-969. [PMID: 36525554 PMCID: PMC10065819 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000004378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The DONATE HCV trial demonstrated the safety and efficacy of transplanting hearts from hepatitis C viremic (HCV+) donors. In this report, we examine the cost-effectiveness and impact of universal HCV+ heart donor eligibility in the United States on transplant waitlist time and life expectancy. METHODS We developed a microsimulation model to compare 2 waitlist strategies for heart transplant candidates in 2018: (1) status quo (SQ) and (2) SQ plus HCV+ donors (SQ + HCV). From the DONATE HCV trial and published national datasets, we modeled mean age (53 years), male sex (75%), probabilities of waitlist mortality (0.01-0.10/month) and transplant (0.03-0.21/month) stratified by medical urgency, and posttransplant mortality (0.003-0.052/month). We assumed a 23% increase in transplant volume with SQ + HCV compared with SQ. Costs (2018 United States dollar) included waitlist care ($2200-190 000/month), transplant ($213 400), 4-wk HCV treatment ($26 000), and posttransplant care ($2500-11 300/month). We projected waitlist time, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), lifetime costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs [$/QALY, discounted 3%/year]; threshold ≤$100 000/QALY). RESULTS Compared with SQ, SQ + HCV decreased waitlist time from 8.7 to 6.7 months, increased undiscounted life expectancy from 8.9 to 9.2 QALYs, and increased discounted lifetime costs from $671 400/person to $690 000/person. Four-week HCV treatment comprised 0.5% of lifetime costs. The ICER of SQ + HCV compared with SQ was $74 100/QALY and remained ≤$100 000/QALY with up to 30% increases in transplant and posttransplant costs. CONCLUSIONS Transplanting hearts from HCV-infected donors could decrease waitlist times, increase life expectancy, and be cost-effective. These findings were robust within the context of current high HCV treatment costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E Woolley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Aditya R Gandhi
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Michelle L Jones
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Jane J Kim
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Hari R Mallidi
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Michael M Givertz
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Lindsey R Baden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Mandeep R Mehra
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - And Anne M Neilan
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
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Baran DA, Long A, Lansinger J, Copeland JG, Copeland H. Donor Utilization in the Recent Era: Effect of Sex, Drugs, and Increased Risk. Circ Heart Fail 2022; 15:e009547. [PMID: 35726629 PMCID: PMC9287105 DOI: 10.1161/circheartfailure.122.009547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Heart transplantation volumes have increased in recent years, yet less than a third of donors are typically accepted for transplantation. Whether donor sex, donor drug use, or perception of increased risk affects utilization for transplantation is unclear. Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing database was queried for donors from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2017. Donor toxicology was collected when available. Multivariate analysis was conducted to examine correlations with donor utilization. Results: Between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2017, there were 87 816 heart donors aged ≥15 years. The mean age was 42.7±15.8 years, and 24 831 donors (28.3%) were utilized for heart transplantation. Subsequent analyses focused on donors between 15 and 39 years old. The strongest associations with donor acceptance were for male donor sex, blood type, hepatitis C antibody, donor age, left ventricular hypertrophy, and history of donor drug use. After removing hepatitis C, Public Health Service Increased Risk was identified as a strong negative predictor. Most positive drug toxicology results were associated with donor nonuse except for donors between 15 and 19 years of age. Exceptions included alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. Opiates were associated with less utilization at all donor ages. The Public Health Service Increased Risk status was associated with significantly less utilization in all age groups except 15- to 19-year-old donors. Conclusions: While male donors were preferentially utilized, donors with drug use or those deemed Public Health Service Increased Risk were significantly less utilized for heart transplantation. Further consideration of such donors would be appropriate particularly as the demand for transplantation continues to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Baran
- Advanced Heart Failure Section, Division of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, Weston, FL (D.A.B.)
| | - Ashleigh Long
- Division of Cardiology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa (A.L.)
| | - Justin Lansinger
- Internal Medicine Training Program, University of Rochester, NY (J.L.)
| | - Jack G Copeland
- Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson (J.G.C.)
| | - Hannah Copeland
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Fort Wayne (H.C.)
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Siddiqi HK, Schlendorf KH. Hepatitis C Positive Organ Donation in Heart Transplantation. CURRENT TRANSPLANTATION REPORTS 2021; 8:359-367. [PMID: 34786324 PMCID: PMC8579730 DOI: 10.1007/s40472-021-00350-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review To summarize outcomes to date, as well as important considerations and unanswered questions related to the use of hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive donors for heart transplantation. Recent Findings Outcomes from single-center studies and registry data to date suggest that among patients who develop donor-transmitted HCV after heart transplantation, direct-acting antiviral therapies (DAAT) are effective and well-tolerated, and that short-term survival is similar to that of patients transplanted with HCV - donors. Summary In an era marked by increasing numbers of HCV positive deceased donors and a growing imbalance between the demand and supply of donor hearts, utilization of HCV + donors is a feasible strategy to expand the donor pool and reduce waitlist times. Ongoing work is needed to clarify longer-term outcomes with the use of this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan K Siddiqi
- Division of Cardiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21, St Avenue South, Suite 5307, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Kelly H Schlendorf
- Division of Cardiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21, St Avenue South, Suite 5307, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
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Copeland H, Baran DA. Predicting the future: Hepatitis C donors in focus. J Heart Lung Transplant 2021; 41:48-49. [PMID: 34802878 DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Copeland
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Indiana University School of Medicine - Fort Wayne (IUSM-FW), Fort Wayne, Indiana.
| | - David A Baran
- Division of Heart Failure, Heart Transplant, and Cardiology, Sentara Heart Hospital, Norfolk, Virginia
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Ungerman E, Jayaraman AL, Patel B, Khoche S, Subramanian H, Bartels S, Knight J, Gelzinis TA. The Year in Cardiothoracic Transplant Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2020 Part II: Cardiac Transplantation. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2021; 36:390-402. [PMID: 34657796 DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2021.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ungerman
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Arun L Jayaraman
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Bhoumesh Patel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Swapnil Khoche
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Harikesh Subramanian
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Steven Bartels
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL
| | - Joshua Knight
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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Doulamis IP, Tzani A, Moustakidis S, Kampaktsis PN, Briasoulis A. Effect of Hepatitis C donor status on heart transplantation outcomes in the United States. Clin Transplant 2021; 35:e14220. [PMID: 33420730 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.14220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies demonstrated safety and efficacy of heart transplantation (HT) from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive donors. We sought to evaluate the impact of HCV donor status on the outcomes of patients undergoing HT in the United States. METHODS We analyzed a retrospective cohort of adult patients from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database who underwent isolated HT from 2015 until present. Primary outcomes were 30-day and 1-year overall mortality. Secondary outcomes included risk for graft failure and overall survival, incident stroke and need for dialysis during the available follow-up period. All end points were evaluated according to HCV status. RESULTS All-cause 30-day and 1-year mortality was similar between the two groups (3.4% vs 3.2%, P = .973 and 6.9% vs 7.8%, P = .769, respectively, for patients receiving heart grafts from HCV+ vs. HCV- donors). Graft failure was 12.8% (95% CI: 8%-19%) and 15.2% (95 CI: 15%-16%) in the HCV+ and HCV- groups, respectively (P = .92 and P = .68). Competing risk regression analysis for re-operation showed a non-significant trend for higher risk for re-transplantation in the HCV+ group (HR: 2.71; 95% CI: 0.83, 8.80, P = .097). CONCLUSION HCV donor status does not seem to negatively affect the outcomes of HT in the U.S population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias P Doulamis
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aspasia Tzani
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Alexandros Briasoulis
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
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