Cost-effectiveness in the contemporary management of critical limb ischemia with tissue loss

Background The care of patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) and tissue loss is notoriously challenging and expensive. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of various management strategies to identify those that would optimize value to patients. Methods A probabilistic Markov model was used to create a detailed simulation of patient-oriented outcomes, including clinical events, wound healing, functional outcomes, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) after various management strategies in a CLI patient cohort during a 10-year period. Direct and indirect cost estimates for these strategies were obtained using transition cost-accounting methodology. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), in 2009 U.S. dollars per QALYs, were calculated compared with the most conservative management strategy of local wound care with amputation as needed. Results With an ICER of $47,735/QALY, an initial surgical bypass with subsequent endovascular revision(s) as needed was the most cost-effective alternative to local wound care alone. Endovascular-first management strategies achieved comparable clinical outcomes but at higher cost (ICERs ≥$101,702/QALY); however, endovascular management did become cost-effective when the initial foot wound closure rate was >37% or when procedural costs were decreased by >42%. Primary amputation was dominated (less effectiveness and more costly than wound care alone). Conclusions Contemporary clinical effectiveness and cost estimates show an initial surgical bypass is the most cost-effective alternative to local wound care alone for CLI with tissue loss and can be supported even in a cost-averse health care environment.