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Vesicoureteral reflux and ureteroceles
Hans G Pohl1, Geoffrey F Joyce, Matthew Wise
1Department of Urology, George Washington University, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. Hpohl@cnmc.org
The Journal of Urology
|April 18, 2007
Summary
Vesicoureteral reflux and ureteroceles incur significant healthcare costs in the US, with increasing outpatient visits and millions in inpatient expenditures. Further economic impact analysis is needed for a complete understanding of these pediatric conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Health Economics
- Healthcare Resource Utilization
Background:
- Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and ureteroceles are congenital anomalies affecting the pediatric urinary tract.
- Understanding their healthcare burden is crucial for resource allocation and policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the burden of VUR and ureteroceles in the United States.
- To identify trends in healthcare resource utilization for these conditions.
- To estimate the economic impact of VUR and ureteroceles.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of healthcare resource utilization trends from 1994-2002.
- Estimation of inpatient and outpatient expenditures for VUR and ureteroceles.
Main Results:
- Inpatient hospitalizations for VUR showed a slight, non-significant increase; ureteroceles remained stable.
- Physician office and ambulatory surgery visits doubled for VUR in commercially insured and Medicaid-covered children.
- In 2000, inpatient treatment for VUR cost $47 million, and ureteroceles cost an estimated $4 million.
Conclusions:
- The economic impact of inpatient VUR treatment is substantial, with greater costs when considering other services.
- Current estimates likely underestimate the true economic burden, excluding pharmaceuticals, outpatient services, and indirect costs.
- Limited data for ureteroceles prevented reliable cost trend analysis, though mean inpatient cost per case was ~$8,000.
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