Jornal Vascular Brasileiro
https://www.jvascbras.org/article/doi/10.1590/1677-5449.202401722
Jornal Vascular Brasileiro
Brief Communication

Cost of radiofrequency ablation for chronic venous insufficiency: a pilot study of 9 cases at a teaching hospital in Brazil

Custo da ablação por radiofrequência para insuficiência venosa crônica: estudo piloto de nove casos em um hospital universitário no Brasil

Ana Luiza Carvalho Sartoreli; Henrique Capistrano dos Santos; Thais Keltke Santos Felippe; Júlio César Souza Diniz; Luiz Baldini Neto; Gustavo Muçouçah Sampaio Brandão; Michel Nasser

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.202401722 J Vasc Bras, vol.24, e20240172, 2025
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Abstract

Background: While radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is increasingly used to treat saphenous vein incompetence, its adoption in Brazil may have been hindered by the lack of evidence demonstrating sufficient added value to justify its cost-effectiveness.

Objectives: To perform RFA in 9 patients with lower extremity varicose veins and determine the procedural costs per patient at a Brazilian teaching hospital.

Methods: Nine single-use RFA catheters were purchased by the teaching hospital affiliated with our institution and used in this pilot study. Direct and indirect costs were calculated as sums of the respective cost components of the procedure based on values from the federal government’s price panel. To illustrate the potential cost-effectiveness of RFA, these costs were compared to those of 9 saphenectomy procedures performed on the same day as the RFA procedures. All analyses were descriptive, with no formal statistical testing.

Results: The mean operating room hourly rate for RFA was 127.50 BRL. The costs of anesthetics/medications, materials, and single-use catheter per patient were 32.63 BRL, 81.49 BRL, and 1600.00 BRL, respectively. Patients were absent from work for < 15 days (mean, 11.44 days), not incurring sick leave payments from the Social Security Administration. The total mean cost for RFA was lower than that of same-day saphenectomy (1841.62 BRL vs 2045.40 BRL).

Conclusions: This pilot study provided essential insights into resource utilization at a Brazilian teaching hospital, with the goal of improving treatment efficiency and ensuring the best cost-benefit ratio for patients.

Supplementary material

Keywords

chronic venous disease; varicose veins; saphenectomy; radiofrequency ablation; cost-effectiveness; teaching hospital

Resumo

Contexto: Embora a ablação por radiofrequência (ARF) seja cada vez mais utilizada no tratamento de insuficiência da veia safena, sua adoção no Brasil pode ter sido dificultada pela falta de evidências que demonstrem um valor agregado suficiente para justificar sua relação custo-efetividade.

Objetivos: Avaliar a ARF em nove pacientes com varizes de membros inferiores e determinar os custos do procedimento por paciente em um hospital universitário brasileiro.

Métodos: Nove cateteres de ARF de uso único adquiridos pelo hospital universitário afiliado à nossa instituição foram utilizados neste estudo piloto. Os custos diretos e indiretos foram calculados como somas dos respectivos componentes de custo do procedimento, segundo valores do painel de preços do governo federal. Para ilustrar o potencial custo-benefício da ARF, esses custos foram comparados aos de nove safenectomias realizadas no mesmo dia das ARFs. As análises foram descritivas, sem aplicação de testes estatísticos formais.

Resultados: A taxa horária média da sala cirúrgica para ARF foi de R$ 127,50. Os custos com anestésicos/medicamentos, materiais e cateter por paciente foram de R$ 32,63, R$ 81,49 e R$ 1.600,00, respectivamente. Os pacientes se ausentaram do trabalho por < 15 dias (média: 11,44 dias), não incorrendo em pagamentos de licença médica pelo Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social. O custo médio total da ARF foi menor do que o da safenectomia no mesmo dia (R$ 1.841,62 vs. R$ 2.045,40).

Conclusões: Este estudo piloto forneceu dados essenciais sobre a utilização de recursos em um hospital universitário brasileiro, com o objetivo de melhorar a eficiência do tratamento e garantir a melhor relação custo-benefício para os pacientes.

Material suplementar

Palavras-chave

doença venosa crônica; varizes; safenectomia; ablação por radiofrequência; custo-efetividade; hospital universitário

References

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Submitted date:
12/20/2024

Accepted date:
04/14/2025

Sociedade Brasileira de Angiologia e Cirurgia Vascular (SBACV)"> Sociedade Brasileira de Angiologia e Cirurgia Vascular (SBACV)">
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