A new study published in Clinical Spine Surgery examines the most cost-effective treatment for recurrent lumbar disc herniation.
Study authors examined 50 recurrent lumbar disc herniation patients who either underwent conservative treatment, discectomy or discectomy with fusion. The study authors are both from Spain and values were translated from Euros to U.S. dollars. Study authors found:
1. Conservative treatment was significantly more economical than discectomy. The conservative treatment cost on average was about $1,016, compared to $7,553 for discectomy.
2. The outcomes between discectomy and conservative treatment were similar.
3. When comparing the 20 patients that underwent discectomy and 19 that had discectomy and fusion, the study authors found discectomy was more economical and more effective. Discectomy and fusion cost $10,528.
4. The study authors concluded conservative treatment was most cost-effective for lumbar disc herniation recurrence.