Cost-effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in Brazil: Results from the RESILIENT trial

BACKGROUND

The RESILIENT trial demonstrated the clinical benefit of mechanical thrombectomy in patients presenting acute ischemic stroke secondary to anterior circulation large vessel occlusion in Brazil.

AIMS

This economic evaluation aims to assess the cost-utility of mechanical thrombectomy in the RESILIENT trial from a public healthcare perspective.

METHODS

A cost-utility analysis was applied to compare mechanical thrombectomy plus standard medical care (n = 78) vs. standard medical care alone (n = 73), from a subset sample of the RESILIENT trial (151 of 221 patients). Real-world direct costs were considered, and utilities were imputed according to the Utility-Weighted modified Rankin Score. A Markov model was structured, and probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of results.

RESULTS

The incremental costs and quality-adjusted life years gained with mechanical thrombectomy plus standard medical care were estimated at Int$ 7440 and 1.04, respectively, compared to standard medical care alone, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Int$ 7153 per quality-adjusted life year. The deterministic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that mRS-6 costs of the first year most affected the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. After 1000 simulations, most of results were below the cost-effective threshold.

CONCLUSIONS

The intervention's clear long-term benefits offset the initially higher costs of mechanical thrombectomy in the Brazilian public healthcare system. Such therapy is likely to be cost-effective and these results were crucial to incorporate mechanical thrombectomy in the Brazilian public stroke centers.

Derivo Embolization Device for the Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms

Background and Purpose—

Flow diverter technology improvements are necessary to provide safe and good results and enable the treatment of a larger variety of aneurysms. We report a nationwide experience with the Derivo Embolization Device in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Methods—

BRAIDED (Brazilian Registry of Aneurysms Assigned to Intervention With the Derivo Embolization Device) is a multicenter, prospective, interventional, single-arm trial of the Derivo Embolization Device for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. The primary effectiveness end point was total aneurysm occlusion at 6- and 12-month angiographies. The secondary safety end point was the absence of serious adverse events during follow-up. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of aneurysm persistence, periprocedural complications, and adverse events during follow-up.

Results—

Between December 2016 and October 2018, 146 patients harboring 183 intracranial aneurysms were treated in 151 interventions at 7 centers. Derivo Embolization Device placement was technically successful in all patients. Most aneurysms (86.9%) were located at the internal carotid artery, and the mean diameter was 6.7 mm. At 6 months, 113 of 140 (80.7%) aneurysms met the study’s primary end point, and 74 of 83 (89.2%) met the study’s primary end point at 12 months. Saccular morphology of the aneurysm (odds ratio, 5.66; 95% CI, 1.01–31.77) and the presence of a branch arising from the sac (odds ratio, 6.36; 95% CI, 2.11–22.36) predicted persistence. A long duration of follow-up (odds ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78–0.95) predicted total occlusion. Of the 146 enrolled patients, 138 (94.5%) were treated without serious adverse events during follow-up. In the multivariable analysis, aneurysms located at a sidewall were less likely to experience these events than those located at bifurcations (odds ratio, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01–0.51).

Conclusions—

The Derivo Embolization Device is a safe and effective treatment for intracranial aneurysms.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL: http://plataformabrasil.saude.gov.br/login.jsf . Unique identifier: CAAE 77089717.7.1001.5125.