Micro-Costing Analysis of Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation Compared with Hemithyroidectomy in Outpatient and Inpatient Settings
Main finding · Cost over a one-year care cycleResult — go to the resultDifference $1628.23 lower (29.0%)Authors' conclusion
Over one year, the base-case cost for thyroid RFA was $1628.23 lower (29.0%) than the mean cost of all hemithyroidectomies. The cost savings of thyroid RFA are driven by eliminating the need for operating room and inpatient admission resources. Nodule regrowth requiring repeat ablation or delayed surgery is a critical factor that significantly affects the overall cost of RFA.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with thyroid nodules treated January 2023–May 2025 at two tertiary hospitals in Toronto, Canada
- Participants
- 42 vs 112
- Exposure
- Thyroid radiofrequency ablation (RFA) vs hemithyroidectomy
- RFAn = 42
- Hemithyroidectomyn = 112reference
- Outcome
- Health system costs (2025 Canadian Dollars) across a one-year patient care cycle from initial consultation to one year of follow-up
- Follow-up
- One year
Methodological detailsbottom-up approach, deterministic one-way sensitivity analyses, two tertiary hospitals
- Bottom-up approach
- Deterministic one-way sensitivity analyses
- Two tertiary hospitals
Main finding
Cost over a one-year care cycle
Difference
$1628.23 lower (29.0%)
By group
RFA
$3985.05
base-case
Hemithyroidectomy
$5613.28
mean
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Sensitivity analysis: cost equivalence of RFA vs outpatient hemithyroidectomy
- Patients requiring delayed surgery
- 13.3%
- Patients requiring repeat RFA
- 18.7%
Sensitivity analysis: cost equivalence of RFA vs inpatient hemithyroidectomy
- Patients requiring delayed surgery
- 31.3%
- Patients requiring repeat RFA
- 44.0%
Original publication
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