PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to provide an assessment of the fac
ility cost associated with uterine artery embolization (UAE) for leiomyomat
a and to provide a basis for the estimation of cost so as to compare UAE wi
th surgical approaches.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information was gathered from the clinical/accountin
g system for 23 patients who had UAE performed at a single institution. Cos
t-to-charge ratios and microcosting were employed to derive cost estimates.
A detailed meta-analysis was also performed on the resource use parameters
reported in the literature.
RESULTS: Facility costs range from $2,058 to $4,951 and the mean total cost
is $3,080. The radiology procedure and observation stay are the largest co
ntributors to facility cost. The average length of stay is 21.5 hours with
a range from 8 hours to 48 hours. The estimates from this analysis provide
a good approximation of facility cost; there are no significant differences
in resource use between this study and the meta-analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: The facility cost of UAE ($3,080) compares favorably with hyst
erectomy, the cost of which ranges from $3,100 to $4,900 depending on the t
ype of procedure performed. This cost information can be used to analyze th
e cost effectiveness of UAE compared to alternate therapies.