Cost-effectiveness analysis of intracranial stent placement versus contemporary medical management in patients with symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis

Background: Intracranial angioplasty and stent placement has been increasingly evaluated as a new method for treatment of symptomatic intracranial stenosis in select patients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved intracranial stent treatment of symptomatic atherosclerotic intracranial lesions. Purpose: To determine the cost-effectiveness of intracranial artery stent placement compared with contemporary medical management for secondary stroke prevention among patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis. Methods: Clinical outcome data were obtained from the aspirin treatment arm of the Comparison of Warfarin and Aspirin for Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) trial (n = 280) and 12 case series (n = 216) of patients who underwent stent placement of symptomatic intracranial stenosis with comparable characteristics. Total cost of procedure and medical management-only was calculated using the rates of major stroke, minor stroke, or death in each group. All costs are expressed in 2010 US$. The quality-adjusted lifeyear (QALY) of each intervention strategy was estimated using the frequency of the outcomes of major and minor stroke, death, and baseline health. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was formulated for a 1-year period.