COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Few studies quantitate the cost of a quality well being as produced by arthroplasty surgery. The objective was to use the Quality of Well Be ing Index to calculate the cost per quality of well year in knee arthr oplasty surgery. The difference in Quality of Well Being Index scores before and after the intervention was calculated and multiplied by the patient's life expectancy. The procedure cost was divided by this qua ntity resulting in the cost of a quality well year. One hundred patien ts underwent a primary knee arthroplasty. There were 30 males (average age, 62 years old) and 70 females (average age, 64 years old). The ca lculated costs per a quality well year were $30,695 (standard deviatio n $90,883) at 3 months, $17,804 (standard deviation $25,888) at 6 mont hs, $11,560 (standard deviation $11,874) at 1 year, and $6656 (standar d deviation $3567) at 2 years postsurgery. Health economists consider an intervention costing less than $30,000 per quality of well year a b argain to society. Cost effectiveness of knee arthroplasty surgery com pares favorably with other surgical interventions such as coronary art ery bypass surgery ($5000 per quality of well year) and extremely favo rable with medical treatments such as renal dialysis ($50,000.00 for t he quality well year). Knee arthroplasty is a cost effective procedure and should be considered an appropriate investment by society.