Background
Gynecologists debate the optimal use for intraoperative cystoscopy at the time of
benign hysterectomy. Although adding cystoscopy leads to additional up-front cost,
it may also enable intraoperative detection of a urinary tract injury that may otherwise
go unnoticed. Prompt injury detection and intraoperative repair decreases morbidity
and is less costly than postoperative diagnosis and treatment. Because urinary tract
injury is rare and not easily studied in a prospective fashion, decision analysis
provides a method for evaluating the cost associated with varying strategies for use
of cystoscopy.
Objective
The objective of the study was to quantify costs of routine cystoscopy, selective
cystoscopy, or no cystoscopy with benign hysterectomy.
Study Design
We created a decision analysis model using TreeAge Pro. Separate models evaluated
cystoscopy following abdominal, laparoscopic/robotic, and vaginal hysterectomy from
the perspective of a third-party payer. We modeled bladder and ureteral injuries detected
intraoperatively and postoperatively. Ureteral injury detection included false-positive
and false-negative results. Potential costs included diagnostics (imaging, repeat
cystoscopy) and treatment (office/emergency room visits, readmission, ureteral stenting,
cystotomy closure, ureteral reimplantation). Our model included costs of peritonitis,
urinoma, and vesicovaginal/ureterovaginal fistula. Complication rates were determined
from published literature. Costs were gathered from Medicare reimbursement as well
as published literature when procedure codes could not accurately capture additional
length of stay or work-up related to complications.
Results
From prior studies, bladder injury incidence was 1.75%, 0.93%, and 2.91% for abdominal,
laparoscopic/robotic, and vaginal hysterectomy, respectively. Ureteral injury incidence
was 1.61%, 0.46%, and 0.46%, respectively. Hysterectomy costs without cystoscopy varied
from $884.89 to $1121.91. Selective cystoscopy added $13.20–26.13 compared with no
cystoscopy. Routine cystoscopy added $51.39–57.86 compared with selective cystoscopy.
With the increasing risk of injury, selective cystoscopy becomes cost saving. When
bladder injury exceeds 4.48–11.44% (based on surgical route) or ureteral injury exceeds
3.96–8.95%, selective cystoscopy costs less than no cystoscopy. Therefore, if surgeons
estimate the risk of injury has exceeded these thresholds, cystoscopy may be cost
saving. However, for routine cystoscopy to be cost saving, the risk of bladder injury
would need to exceed 20.59–47.24% and ureteral injury 27.22–37.72%. Model robustness
was checked with multiple 1-way sensitivity analyses, and no relevant thresholds for
model variables other than injury rates were identified.
Conclusion
While routine cystoscopy increased the cost $64.59–83.99, selective cystoscopy had
lower increases ($13.20–26.13). These costs are reduced/eliminated with increasing
risk of injury. Even a modest increase in suspicion for injury should prompt selective
cystoscopy with benign hysterectomy.
Key words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: January 24, 2019
Accepted:
January 18,
2019
Received in revised form:
January 17,
2019
Received:
October 6,
2018
Footnotes
Dr Ridgeway has been a consultant for Coloplast, Inc and has provided legal expertise for Ethicon, Inc. The other authors report no conflict of interest.
Cite this article as: Cadish LA, Ridgeway BM, Shepherd JP. Cystoscopy at the time of benign hysterectomy: a decision analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2019;220:369.e1-7.
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Cystoscopy at the time of benign hysterectomy: a decision analysisAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & GynecologyVol. 221Issue 3
- PreviewWe were excited to read your timely and important publication “Cystoscopy at the time of benign hysterectomy: a decision analysis”1 because safety in and quality of gynecologic surgery is a major focus. We wish to express several concerns regarding the methods of this study and possible implications for its interpretation and conclusions.
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- ReplyAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & GynecologyVol. 221Issue 3
- PreviewWe agree that delayed ureteral injury causes significant morbidity after hysterectomy. We intentionally modeled hysterectomy modalities separately, accounting for increased thermal injury with laparoscopic or robotic approaches. Blackwell et al1 published their study of delayed ureteral injury sequelae after our analysis was complete, but even so, delayed injury rarely is diagnosed beyond the 90-day postoperative period, even when time to definitive management extends beyond >90 days. Our model included any injury diagnosed within 90 days, even if treatment extended further.
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