Cost-effectiveness of closed-incision negative pressure therapy in primary total joint arthroplasty: a break-even analysis.

Objective: Surgical site complications (SSCs) are the leading cause of unplanned emergency department visits and readmissions following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The use of closed-incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) has shown promise in reducing SSC occurrence. However, no study has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of ciNPT in primary TJA. The purpose of this study was to calculate the break-even absolute risk reduction (ARR) of SSCs, the break-even treatment cost of SSCs, and the break-even cost-of-use for ciNPT, based on existing literature to assess the cost-effectiveness of ciNPT in primary TJA.

Method: Relevant values for ARR, infection treatment cost and intervention cost were obtained via literature review. A break-even analysis was conducted to investigate the cost-effectiveness of ciNPT use in primary TJA, as well as to derive the ARR, infection treatment cost (C) and intervention protocol cost (C) values at which ciNPT use becomes cost-effective.

Results: The values derived from the literature review were as follows: C=$160.76 USD; C=$5348.78 USD; ARR=0.0375. The break-even ARR was calculated to be 3.0%, the break-even C was calculated to be $200.58 USD, and the break-even C was calculated to be $4286.93 USD. The ARR of ciNPT use was greater than the calculated break-even ARR.

Conclusion: This analysis demonstrated that ciNPT use in primary TJA was cost-effective. By examining the difference between the calculated break-even C and the C reported in the literature, the cost saved per patient treated with ciNPT can be calculated to be $39.82 USD.