Socio-economic impact of chronic venous insufficiency. An underestimated public health problem.

Background: Disease of the venous system is an underestimated public health problem affecting all Western industrialised countries. The prevalence of venous disease of the lower limb in the adult population is estimated at 40-50% for men and 50-55% for women, whereas visible varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency are, respectively, present in 10-15% and 2-7% of the male population and 20-25% and 3-7% of the female population. In France the costs of venous disease represented 2.

Social insurance cost of standard discectomy and percutaneous nucleotomy. A retrospective study of 87 social insurance claim files of male blue collar workers.

A retrospective review of social insurance claim files of male blue collar workers was conducted to compare the social insurance costs of percutaneous lumbar nucleotomy with standard lumbar discectomy ; 29 percutaneous nucleotomy procedures were matched with 58 standard discectomies all carried out between January 1992 and December 1994. It was concluded that a standard discectomy procedure results in significantly higher costs during hospitalisation with respect to surgery, anaesthesia and hospital stay. A percutaneous nucleotomy leads to a significantly higher outpatient expenditure especially in radiology and medical devices.

[Cost analysis of inguinal hernia surgery in ambulatory and inpatient management].

In Belgium 27,426 hernia repairs were performed in 1994 but only 1,451 (5.29%) were done on ambulatory basis, whereas in the U.S.