Costs of Surgery for Thoracic Cystic Echinococcosis: Data from a Single Center in Italy.

Surgery is the preferable treatment of thoracic cystic echinococcosis (TCE). However, there is no consensus about the best surgical method. Options include lobectomy, segmentectomy, or cystostomy with closure of bronchial openings and capitonnage. The choice depends on cyst integrity, cyst size, number of cysts, location of cysts within the lung, associated lung tissue damage, and treatment costs. Currently, limited data are available on the costs associated with surgical treatment of TCE. We report data from a referral center for TCE in Italy. We collected treatment information and costs for treatment of nine patients with TCE admitted to the Thoracic Surgery Ward at Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital in Alessandria, Italy from May 2023 to March 2024. The main surgical approach was cystostomy with closure of bronchial openings and capitonnage. The total expenditures for a single hospitalization, including hospital stay and surgery, ranged from €9,563.9 to €29,849 (median: €13,311.3; interquartile range: €8,584.75, Q1-Q3: €11,227.05-€19,811.80). This study shows the significant variability in treatment cost depending on the surgical technique and clinical complexity.