Cost-effectiveness analysis of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy using Markov modelling.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the cost-effectiveness of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR).

METHODS

We constructed a Markov model in which patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction received endoscopic DCR or no surgery. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, 1-way sensitivity analyses, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were used to evaluate for model sensitivity to multiple model inputs.

RESULTS

Endoscopic DCR was found to be cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$2162 per quality-adjusted life-year. The model was most sensitive to the health utility deduction from epiphora. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis found endoscopic DCR to be cost-effective over no surgery 93.7% of the time.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic DCR is a cost-effective treatment for patients with epiphora. The model is very sensitive to the negative effect epiphora has on quality of life. With the advancement of health care technology and surgical techniques, the success rates of endoscopic DCR continue to improve and to be an even more efficacious and economical treatment for nasolacrimal duct obstruction.