TAVR more cost-effective than surgery for low-risk patients, new 2-year study confirms
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a more cost-effective treatment option for low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis than surgery, according to new research presented Nov. 5 at TCT 2021.
The study, a full economic analysis of the PARTNER 3 randomized trial, examined data from 485 patients who underwent TAVR with the Sapien 3 valve and another 444 patients who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). All patients were enrolled in the study from March 2016 to October 2017.
While TAVR is a slightly more expensive procedure than SAVR, it was associated with shorter procedures and less time spent in the ICU. Also, the economic breakdown revealed that TAVR was linked to lower total costs after two years than SAVR ($66,834 vs. $68,864).
In addition, the team found, TAVR’s two-year quality-adjusted life expectancy was 1.71 quality-adjusted life years—more than the 1.66 quality-adjusted life years for SAVR.
“Data from the PARTNER 3 trial show that for patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk, TAVR is cost-saving compared with SAVR at two-year follow-up and is projected to be highly cost effective over a lifetime horizon—as long as there are no major differences in late mortality between the two strategies,” David J. Cohen, MD, director of clinical and outcomes research for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and director of academic affairs for St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center, said in a statement. “Given the importance of long-term outcomes in these projections, extended follow-up through at least 10 years will be critical to validate these findings.”
Edwards Lifesciences, the manufacturer behind the Sapien 3 valve, did fund this study. Also, Cohen reported a working relationship with Edwards Lifesciences, as well as other industry vendors.
More information on TCT 2021 is available here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.